Return to the Edge
by Edelweiss Dragonborn
Summary: The riders of Berk and their allies return to Dragon's Edge.
1. Chapter 1

**Return to the Edge**

Chapter 1

Draconia was facing a very hot day. The sun blazed down on the landscape. There were no clouds in sight. Temperatures rose to 100 degrees. The dragons were all gathered around lakes, rivers, ponds, and even the ocean. Silver Valley Lake and the Dragon River were more crowded then usual. Among the crowd was the King and Queen and their family. Queen Aurora sat in the shade of a large tree, her wings spread out on the grass. The sun was so hot, that her crown was starting to burn her scales, so she'd taken it off.

Aurora was looking over the designs of a new city she and Re wanted to build. Dragon Claw canyon had been cleared of all its thorns, which left a wide and deep canyon. It was the perfect spot for a new city. She glanced up for a moment and glanced down the hill at her young dragonets who were swimming with Edelweiss, Aurora and Re's half human, half dragon granddaughter. Re was watching them from the shade of a different tree with Tenor and Windwalker. Chris and Serenity had gone for a hike up the lake's shore. Aurora went back to her papers. Just then Re joined her.

"How are you doing?" He asked.

"I'm doing fine," Aurora said, looking up at him. He was still wearing his crown, since it held his metal horn in place.

"It would be very nice to get a new city," Re said.

"Yes," said Aurora. Just then Avalon came out of the water and up to the tree.

"Are we going to hit a drought Mother?" She asked.

"No," said Aurora. "It will rain a lot this summer." Avalon ran back to the water. She waded in with her friends.

"We don't have to worry about running out of water," she said.

"I told you," said Black Widow to Apollo. She splashed him with her tail.

"I think were just not used to summers here," said Eider. "Since we always go up to Berk."

"Well, we're supposedly going to Dragon's Edge this year," said Edelweiss.

"We just need word form Hiccup that they're ready to go," said Apollo. "What was Mother looking at up there?"

"Designs for the new city," said Avalon. "It'll be cool to see how that turns out." Just then Eider looked out across the lake.

"Can we go looking for mermaids?" He asked.

"I want to go look for unicorns," said Apollo. "I bet they're all over this place."

"Me too," said Black Widow.

"Then Apollo and Black Widow can go look for unicorns while Eider and I look for mermaids," said Avalon. She then looked at Edelweiss. "What do you want to do?" Edel considered.

"I'd rather stay here actually," she said. "It's too hot to go anywhere."

"All right," said Avalon. Apollo and Black Widow headed into the forest, and Eider followed Avalon deeper into the water.

"How are we going to hold our breath?" He asked.

"Never fear," said Avalon calmly. "I can give us oxygen using magic. But we won't be able to talk underwater, so if you need to say something point towards the surface."

"All right," said Eider. With that Avalon dove into the water and Eider followed her.

It was cool and dark under the water. Eider could see the bubbles of other dragonets swimming nearby. Large Whale Dragons swam farther below them. Suddenly he caught Avalon waving at him. She made a follow me motion then swam off. Eider followed her and they headed to the center of the lake. Non of the water dragons bothered them as they swam by. Suddenly Avalon stopped. She looked at Eider and pointed towards a group of mermaids swimming in the distance. There were four of them: a turquoise, a silver, a pink, and an orange. They were talking in their own language. Eider moved to get closer but Avalon stopped him with her wing and shook her head. Eider watched the mermaids swim, still talking in their language. They seemed to be excited about something. Just then the pink one spotted the two dragons, and became alert. Avalon waved at her, and she timidly waved back. This drew the attention of the others, and they stopped talking at once. Avalon nudged Eider, and gestured to the surface. They swam back up.

They broke through and treaded the water. The mermaids surfaced too, still at a distance.

"Are they afraid of us?" Asked Eider.

"A little," said Avalon. "But they'er pretty used to dragons."

"I heard they lure people into the water, then drown them," said Eider.

"They only do that to humans," said Avalon. "We dragons are too smart for that trick."

"Can we get closer?" Eider asked.

"No," said Avalon. "It would spook them, come on lets race back." She took off back towards the shore. Eider hurried to catch up with her. He quickly overtook her and sped towards the shore like a mako shark. When he reached the shore he jumped onto it and shook the water off his scales. Avalon joined him a second later.

"Show off," she said with a smirk.

"So what do you want to do now?" Eider asked. Avalon considered.

"Well, I kind of want to go into town and get me a pair of matching armbands," she said. "And maybe a collar too."

"That sounds fun," said Eider. "I suppose."

"I can get you something too if you want," said Avalon. "Perhaps something with obsidian or amber."

"No thanks," said Eider.

"Do you want to come?" Avalon asked.

"I hate shopping," said Eider. "I'll see you later." He took off and headed back to the group. Avalon spread her wings and headed for Silver Valley City.

She flew through the city which stood on the bank of the Dragon River. Avalon headed for the nearby market and landed in the plaza. There were dragons all over the place, buying and selling goods and food. Avalon soon spotted a shop that was selling jewelry and entered. The place was filled with sparkling jewels and shiny metals. Avalon eventually spotted a rack of armbands and browsed through them. Suddenly the shopkeeper came out from a back room. She was a much older dragon that had turquoise scales and dark pink patches all over her body. She wore golden spectacles over her purple eyes.

"Hello Princess," she said.

"Hi," said Avalon. "I was just looking for armbands."

"Of course," said the shopkeeper. "Let me know if you need anything." Avalon looked at the armbands again. She picked up a pair that had peacock feathers around the bands. They were made out of silver and the feathers were made out of sparking jade and sapphire gems. She tried them on, and they were too small.

"Do these come in a larger size?" She asked the shopkeeper. The older dragon glanced up at the armbands.

"Certainly," she said. "But those are the only silver ones." She reached behind her desk and pulled out another pair of peacock armbands in gold, but the pattern was the same. "Try these." She handed the armbands to Avalon. She took them and tried them on, the fit perfectly. "They come with a matching collar as well." The shopkeeper pulled out a collar with the same peacock pattern. Avalon lowered her head so the shopkeeper could put the collar on her neck, just behind her horns, it fit as well.

"Oh, they're perfect," said Avalon. "How much are they?" The shopkeeper considered.

"Well I just made them," she said. "So I haven't come up with a price yet. Tell you what, you can have them for free until I decide."

"Okay, if you insist," said Avalon. "But don't forget." Just then there came a Night Fury roar from outside. Avalon ran out to see who it was. The dragons in the plaza were pointing up at a Night Fury that Avalon recognized at once. It was Hiccup and Toothless, followed by Astrid and Stormfly. She took off and flew up to them. She roared to let them know she was approaching. Hiccup and Astrid turned to see her.

"Hey guys," said Avalon.

"Hi Avalon," said Hiccup. "Where are you parents?"

"They'er by the lake," said Avalon. "I'll take you to them." She turned around and lead them back up the lake.

"Odin's ghost, is it always so hot here?" Asked Astrid.

"Not always," said Avalon. "But in the summer it gets really hot. You're just not used to our climate. Whenever it gets hot, everyone goes to the lake and river. This way." She sped up and headed for her family's spot by the lake.

She found them all in the water, grazing on the water weeds. They looked up when Avalon and her followers flew over them.

"Mama, I found visitors," said Avalon. "And I got these new armbands and matching collar."

"Hiccup, what brings you here?" Asked Re as Aurora admired Avalon's armbands.

"We're heading back to Dragon's Edge, and we were hoping you were still planning on coming," said Hiccup. Avalon beamed

"We sure are," said Re.

"Can you wait a few moments while we round up everyone?" Asked Aurora. Hiccup and Astrid landed their dragons on the shore. Re and Aurora took off and flew over the forest. Avalon landed as well. She put a silent enchantment on the armbands and collar so they'd be indestructible, never rust, and burn anyone who tried to steal them.

"Where are the other riders?" Avalon asked.

"They're waiting at the castle," said Astrid. "Hopefully they're not stealing anything."

"Oh, they can't steal anything," said Avalon. "Mother has made her collectibles impossible to steal. Including those Dragon Eyes you gave her."

"She still has those?" Asked Hiccup.

"Yes," said Avalon. "My friends and I have looked at them many times, it's so fun."

"And all the lenses?" Astrid asked.

"All the lenses," said Avalon. Just then the rest of her family joined them. Serenity, Chris, and Edelweiss we're already mounted on their dragons.

"Oh, I've been looking forward to this all winter," said Tenor happily.

"Let's go then," said Re. The dragons spread their wings and took off.

They flew over the Draconia landscape and headed for the castle. When they got there, they rounded up the other riders and Serenity picked up her medical bag. Aurora noticed the burns on Snotlout's hands.

"I hope you weren't trying to steal my treasures?" She said, knowingly.

"He tried to steal that multi-colored jewel," said Fishlegs. Aurora narrowed her eyes.

"The Chintamani Stone," she said. "I never lifted my anti-theft spell. No human should have any of those items, they're too dangerous."

"Is it magic?" Asked Astrid.

"Yes, it's a wish fulfilling jewel," said Aurora. "The world could end if that gets in the wrong hands. Should we head out." The dragons formed three formations and headed for Dragon's Edge. They cleared the front gates and headed over the ocean.

They talked a lot about Dragon's Edge. The dragonets listened and asked a few questions. They loved hearing all the stories.

"Fishlegs trapped a Sea Shocker in a cove?" Black Widow asked, shocked.

"Oh, that's so mean," said Avalon sadly. "Poor Sea Shocker."

"I helped him escape Scauldrons to make up for it," said Fishlegs, going red in the face. The dragonets exchanged a glance. They went back to listening quietly. But soon they grew bored and started singing to pass the time. They did acrobats, but kept the other two formations in their sights.

They flew all day over the ocean. Hiccup planned to stop and camp on Melody Island. He wasn't too worried about the Death Songs this time, now that Toothless was alpha and they were on good terms with the Death Songs now. The dragonets were excited to meet the new dragons. So far Serenity and Tenor were the only Draconians that had been to Melody Island. Avalon was very interested in the Death Song's amber cocoons.

"So this amber stuff, it's very hard when it's cooled?" She asked.

"Yeah, and it's very hard to get out of," said Hiccup. "So be careful." Avalon was deep in thought.

"Maybe I can pay that shopkeeper in amber," she whispered to herself. "Amber's so hard to get." She hurried to keep up with the others. The riders continued to their stories. They had the dragonets' full attention. Avalon pulled her formation between the other two. They were all shocked when they heard about the riders' trip to Vanahiem.

"You guys got to visit Grandfather's sacred island?" Apollo said. "How'd you get out alive."

"We made a deal with him," said Astrid. "We promised him we'd help keep it safe from dragon hunters."

"Oh," said Apollo. "And I suppose he knew Toothless would rise to the alpha position, and he couldn't do it alone."

"What does it look like?" Asked Eider. "Spooky? I've read ghost stories about Vanaheim."

"It did look eerie," said Fishlegs. "But it had a sacred feel to it, and it had the remains of so many dragons."

"Except Night Furies according to you," said Black Widow.

"Yes," said Fishlegs. "And we don't know why." Everyone looked at either Toothless or Windwalker.

"Don't look at us," said Windwalker, with Aurora translating. "We know as much as you guys do, and I've never even been to Vanahiem."

"How much farther is it?" Asked Apollo. Hiccup looked through his spyglass.

"A few more hours," he said. The dragonets sighed.

"We'll be okay guys," said Avalon. "We're dragons, we're built for this." She spotted a school of fish in the water and swooped down to snag a few. She gave them to her friends and it helped them.

"How about a few rounds of I Spy," Edelweiss suggested.

"Okay, though there's not much out here," said Eider.

"Well we'll have to get creative then," said Avalon. "Edel can go first." Edelweiss considered for a few minuets.

"Okay, I Spy something green," she said. The dragonets glanced around.

"Avalon?" Asked Eider.

"No," said Edel.

"Dad?" Asked Apollo.

"No," said Edel.

"Barf and Belch?" Asked Avalon.

"No," said Edel.

"Toothless's eyes?" Asked Black Widow.

"No, it's Avalon's armbands," said Edel. Avalon looked at said armbands.

"Oh, good one," she said. "I'll go next. I Spy something red." Again the dragonets glanced around.

"Is it Hookfang?" Asked Edel.

"No," said Avalon.

"Is it Apollo?" Asked Black Widow.

"No," said Avalon.

"Is it Cloudjumper?" Asked Eider.

"No, he's not even red," said Avalon. "He's more orangey brown."

"Oh I know, it's Toothless's tailfin," said Apollo.

"Yes," said Avalon. Apollo roared in triumph. "Now it's your turn." Apollo glanced around for something to pick.

"You know i spy something really annoying," Snotlout snapped. "And I don't like the way Apollo's eyeballing me." The dragonets glared at him, and continued with their game.

"I Spy something blue," said Apollo.

"The ocean?" Asked Avalon.

"No," said Apollo. "You'll never guess it."

"Um, Aurora?" Asked Eider.

"No," said Apollo.

"Stormfly?" Asked Edelwiess.

"No," said Apollo.

"Oh, is it Valka's helmet?" Asked Black Widow.

"Damit, yes it is," Apollo said grumpily. Black Widow beamed proudly.

They continued the game. They surprisingly got through several rounds despite there being so little to choose. The other riders and dragons managed to zone it out for several miles, thinking they would run out of material. But they still managed to come up with new things.

"I Spy something brown," said Avalon.

"Is it Snotlout's disgusting pants?" Black Widow asked, laughing. All the dragonets laughed.

"No," said Avalon.

"Eret's fury vest?" Asked Apollo.

"No," said Avalon.

"Hiccup's saddlebags?" Asked Eider.

"Close," said Avalon.

"Oh, Hiccup's saddle," said Edelweiss.

"Yes," said Avalon. "So many brown things on these guys." They laughed again.

"Hey guys can you give it a rest?" Asked Astrid.

"But this is our favorite travel game," said Apollo. "And you guys don't really like our singing either."

"I know we're not very fun to travel with," said Avalon. "But we're trying to pass the time." Hiccup turned around in the saddle.

"Some folks like to travel in silence, we're not used to traveling with dragonets," he said. "At least for a little a while. We'll even join in the next round." The dragonets exchanged a glance. They reluctantly fell silent. They didn't even talk and just watched the ocean bellow.

"Tell you guys what," said Astrid. "Why don't you take the lead." The dragonets looked surprised.

"But we're younger than you all," said Avalon. "And we're irritating apparently."

"We've been kind of harsh on you guys," said Astrid. "We want to make it up to you." The dragonets still hesitated.

"It's okay Avalon," said Re. "These guys have to learn to get along with you guys, and this is a pretty good start." The dragonets flew to the front. The sun was starting to go down by now.

"Okay, we're now leading the ones who are older then us," said Apollo, stunned.

"When does that happen?" Eider asked.

"Take it easy guys, I don't think we'll get the guillotine this time," said Avalon. "We're okay." The dragonets relaxed and went back to watching the sun set over the ocean. It kept them quiet, so Hiccup let them lead the way for a few miles.

After a while Hiccup allowed the dragonets to go back to their game and their songs. And true to his word, he and the other riders joined in. The dragonets cheered up even though they were starting to wear out.

"Can we explore Melody Island tomorrow?" Avalon yawned. "It sounds cool."

"You'll need to sleep first," said Aurora. "You don't yet have the stamina to stay awake for this long." The dragonets started to sink out of the sky. Valka steered Cloudjumper underneath them and the landed on his back. They curled up together and fell asleep.

When they woke up they felt solid ground under their scales. Avalon sensed she was curled up next to Apollo, sandwiched between their parents. She stretched her limbs without opening her eyes. Suddenly she heard a loud wail. She sat up and looked around. Apollo woke up too.

"What is that?" He asked.

"It must be a Death Song," said Avalon. "Fishlegs said they make that noise."

"We should go find them," said Apollo. "Mother said we could go exploring today." Avalon stretched her legs and wings, and yawned.

"Let's get the others," she said. They got to their feet and carefully snuck passed Re and Aurora. They went over to where Black Widow was sleeping beside her mother. Avalon nudged her, while Apollo went to get Eider and Edelweiss. Black Widow opened her eyes.

"Hey, you want to go exploring?" Avalon asked.

"Sure, I'm coming," said Black Widow. She got to her feet and did a cat stretch. She followed Avalon as they met up with the others. They could still hear the Death Songs singing.

"That is so eerie," said Eider.

"Where's it coming from?" Asked Black Widow. "I can't tell."

"I think it's coming from this way," said Avalon, and she started walking into the forest.

"Shouldn't we tell our parents where we're going?" Asked Black Widow.

"I told Mother we were going exploring this morning," said Avalon. "I think we'll be okay." They headed into the woods, following the sound. However they only got a few feet before they found themselves blocked by Hookfang.

"Good morning Hookfang," said Avalon.

"Where are you lot going?" Hookfang asked.

"Exploring," said Avalon. "Mother said we could." Hookfang considered.

"Well all right," he said. "But I'm going with you. You guys haven't met these Death Songs, they're pretty brutal."

"I thought you guys knew one of them," said Edelweiss.

"Yes, but they haven't met you guys," said Hookfang. "Come on." He started walking again, and the dragonets followed him.

"You what would be cool?" Avalon said. "If we found dragons our age on this trip."

"That would be fun," said Apollo. "I'd be better than hanging around these adults who are all work and no play."

"Come on guys, we're not that bad," said Hookfang. "We let you finish your game yesterday, and we joined in."

"That's true," said Avalon.

"We were dragonets too once," said Hookfang. "We know what games mean to you."

"But what about your riders?" Asked Black Widow. "They hate it when we play games or sing songs."

"They don't hate it," said Hookfang. "They just find it a bit annoying when you sing so loud or play for so long." Suddenly the wailing came again, closer.

"Hey, up here," said Black Widow. She ran ahead, and the other dragonets followed. They followed the sound to the base of moss covered cliffs. There were dragon bones everywhere, along with bits of amber. They looked around, Avalon picked up as much amber as she could fit into her saddle bags.

"What are you picking those up for?" Edelweiss asked.

"I never got a chance to pay for these," said Avalon, gesturing to her armbands. "I bet that shopkeeper would consider this payment, since amber so hard to get." She picked up a few more chunks of amber, then she stopped. They looked around in confusion.

"Where are the Death Songs?" Eider asked. "They stopped singing."

"That usually means you've been spotted and they'er about to attack," said Hookfang. The dragonets panicked and looked up. A Death Song were diving towards them. He spat amber, but the dragonets dodged it. Hookfang took off and met the Death Song in the air.

"Stand down Garff, it's just us," he said.

"Oh, hi Hookfang," said the smaller Death Song. "Are those your little guys."

"They're with us yes," said Hookfang. "They were just exploring." Garff looked down at the dragonets.

Suddenly more amber shot through the air and encased the dragonets in on giant cocoon, then a bigger Death Song swooped down and carried them off.

"Oh no, Swallowtail," said Garff. "He's in a bit of feeding frenzy."

"We have to go get them," said Hookfang. "I knew they'd get into trouble." He was about to take off.

"Hookfang no," said Garff. "Swallowtail's taking them back to our cave, he'll have it well guarded. You can't fight him either, he's taken on just about every dragon in the Archipelago, including that Night Fury you travel with."

"Who's alpha by the way," said Hookfang. "Can't you go in and get them?"

"Ironically we Death Song's can't break our own amber," said Garff. "We just eat the whole cocoon."

"Which I guess would explain why you guys can eat a whole Gronkle in a matter of minuets," said Hookfang. "Come on, we should get help." He headed back towards the campout, Garff followed him.

Swallowtail dumped the dragonets into a large cave, among a few other dragons in amber. The Death Song landed and examined them.

"Well, four dragonets and one human in one shot," he smirked. "I amaze even myself." He chuckled. "I'll be back to deal you guys later." He turned and took off.

"Where's he going?" Black Widow asked.

"He's going to get more," said a voice to the right of them. "Where there's dragonets, there's adults." The dragonets looked to see a silvery white dragon also trapped in amber. She looked about their age, her horns hadn't fully grown in yet. Her wings were huge and looked a bit like tattered flags, she also had a small triangular head.

"Wait I've heard of your kind," said Edelweiss. "You're a Silver Phantom."

"Yes I am," the other dragon said. "My name's Hurricane."

"I'm Princess Avalon," said Avalon. "This is my brother Apollo."

"I'm Eider," said Eider.

"I'm Black Widow, and this is my rider Edelweiss," said Black Widow. Hurricane narrowed her eyes.

"A human?" She said.

"She's half human," said Avalon. "And half dragon."

"A dragonborn!" Hurricane exclaimed. "I guess that's not at bad."

"Where's your mother?" Apollo asked.

"Back at home," said Hurricane. "I was out looking for food when that siren song lured me in." She looked sad.

"Don't worry, our parents will come save us," said Black Widow. "And maybe we can break this stuff ourselves. Hiccup said it breaks under heat."

"Can you get us out of here with magic Avalon?" Asked Edelweiss.

"Yeah, but lets try this heat thing first," said Avalon. "Who has the hottest flame?"

"Me," said Hurricane. "I didn't know you'd break it with heat."

"See if you can melt our cocoon," said Avalon. "Then I'll magic you out."

"Oooh magic," said Hurricane. She blasted her white hot fire at the amber. The Draconians felt the amber starting to shift, and they were able to break out. They shook the amber off them and flapped their wings.

"Thank you Hurricane," said Apollo. Avalon snapped her talons out and that made all the amber shatter, and all the trapped dragons were free.

"Lets get out of here," said Eider. Avalon turned to Hurricane.

"Come with us," she said. "The humans won't hurt you." The Silver Phantom thought for a moment.

"All right," she said. "As long as I don't mention humans to my mother. She really hates them." Edelweiss mounted Black Widow and they flew out of the cave, the Silver Phantom was among of them. Avalon double checked to make sure she still had her supply of amber. Satisfied, she lead the group back towards the camp. They saw the adults flying towards them with Garff in the lead. Avalon stopped.

"There's the other Death Song," she said.

"I'll get it," said Eider. He shot his silver fire at the Death Song, it blocked his vision long enough for Eider to tackle it out of the sky. The other dragonets joined in and managed to pin the Death Song to the ground, Black Widow pinned own his head and Edelweiss clamped his jaws shut, Apollo and Eider pinned down his wings, and Avalon pinned down his tail. Hurricane circled them.

"That was so cool," she said. "What a push over." Just then the adults landed.

"Hey guys that really wasn't necessary," said Hiccup.

"Sure it was," said Avalon. "We just freed you all from the Death Song's spell."

"This guy was helping us save you," said Tenor.

"Dragonets, meet Garffenyourg," said Snotlout. The dragonets looked down at the Death Song.

"So this isn't the guy we just escaped?" Asked Black Widow.

"No," said Hiccup. "You can let him up, he's not going to hurt you." The dragonets looked down at Garff. He looked as friendly as he could with his face being smushed. The dragonets got off him and he got up.

"I do apologize for Swallowtail," he said. "He doesn't take kindly to trespassers." He suddenly noticed Edelweiss still sitting on his snout. He lowered his head and she jumped off.

"Well me made a friend too," said Avalon. "This is Hurricane." They looked up at the white dragon.

"A Silver Phantom!" exclaimed Fishlegs. "Awesome." Hurricane stayed in the air where she was safe.

"Can she come with us to Dragon's Edge?" Apollo asked. "Please?" Re and Aurora looked up at Hurricane.

"Will your mother mind?" Aurora asked.

"Mother isn't expecting me back for a few more days," said Hurricane. "I just won't tell her about humans." The dragonets beamed. Toothless turned to Garff.

"Thanks for your help Garff," he said. "Sorry these guys jumped you." Garff grinned.

"I don't blame them," he said. "And you're welcome. You should get going before Swallowtail realizes they're gone." The adults nodded and took off. Avalon turned to the Death Song.

"Sorry Garff," she said.

"You're fine Princess," said Garff. "I like the attitude. Hurry now." Avalon took off and her friends followed with Hurricane. They caught up with the others. They left Melody Island behind and headed for Dragon's Edge. Avalon put her formation between the other two. Hurricane caught Fishlegs looking at her with excitement. He was thumbing through his dragon cards.

"Why is that human looking at me like that?" Hurricane asked uncomfortably.

"Fishlegs gets a little overexcited about new dragons," said Tenor. "He's usually pretty harmless though."

"Here you can have my spot if you want," said Apollo.

"Thanks Apollo," said Hurricane. They swapped places so she was now sort of hiding behind Eider.

"Hey Fishlegs, I don't think Hurricane is quite used to your enthusiasm," Tenor said.

"I'm sorry, but this could be my only opportunity to study a Silver Phantom up close," said Fishlegs. "They never fly this low. They're the highest flying dragon."

"And for good reason," said Hurricane with a scowl.

"You want to go up higher Hurricane?" Avalon asked.

"Please," said Hurricane.

"We'll still need to keep these guys in our sight," said Eider. "They know where we're going." Avalon led her formation up higher, well above the clouds. Hurricane relaxed.

"Thank you Princess," she said.

"You're welcome," said Avalon. She glanced down to make sure they could still see the adults.

"So what's your mother like?" Edelweiss asked Hurricane.

"She's sweet yet fearless," said Hurricane. "She's one of the best flyers I've ever seen. She could track a rat on the ground from thirty thousand feet, and that rat would be dead before it even knew it's been spotted. My mother can fly so fast, she can outrun a Night Fury."

"Has she tried?" Black Widow asked.

"Well no," Hurricane admitted. "They're pretty hard to find. But she's outrun everything else, even a Skrill. I'm sure a Night Fury would be no problem. I remember the night I hatched she took me up to see the full moon. I'll never forget the way the moonlight made her wings shine."

"She must really be beautiful then," said Black Widow.

"Oh, Silver Phantoms were one of two species of dragons that were seen as the angels of Lord Draco himself," said Hurricane.

"What's the other one?" Avalon asked.

"Um, something called a Light Dragon," said Hurricane. "Whatever that is. I've never seen one." She looked down at the adults. "That human isn't going to come up here is he?"

"I don't think so," said Avalon. "Fishlegs knows to give a wild dragon its personal space. He does get careless at times though. I think he likes knowing more about dragons then anyone else."

"What about that smaller one on the Night Fury with the red fin?" Hurricane asked.

"Hiccup?" Avalon said. "He really respects dragons. I have no problem trusting him."

"And he's so cool," said Apollo. "You should see the stuff he's made."

"He looks okay for a human I suppose," said Hurricane. "He doesn't look like as much of a threat as the others. And what about the one on the other Night Fury."

"That's my dad," said Edelweiss. "He's the first human to ever learn to speak to dragons in their own language, and my mother is the best dragon healer in the world."

"Our parents adopted him when he was a baby," said Avalon. "He loves dragons more than humans."

"So, he's your adopted brother?" Hurricane asked.

"And we're proud to call him our brother," said Apollo.

"Tell me more about him," said Hurricane. "I told you about my family, now you tell me about yours."

"Seems fair," said Avalon. "Our family is very interesting."

They spent the rest of the flight telling Hurricane all about their family and the ups and downs they'd been through. The adults were kind enough to leave them be. After they'd finished their stories, the dragonets taught Hurricane their songs. Since they were up so high, they sang as loud as they could. In exchanged Hurricane taught them some of her acrobatic moves. The hours sped by, and before they knew it Hiccup and Toothless came up to them.

"We've spotted Dragon's Edge," he said. "You should come down, we're almost ready to land." Avalon looked over her wing.

"You stay close to us," she said. "We'll make sure no one bothers you." Hurricane nodded. They followed Hiccup and Toothless back down to the group. In the distance they spotted a tall snow capped mountain. As they drew closer they saw a large island in the shadow of the mountain. The dragons headed for the cliffs, where they found the outpost, or what was left of it.

Several of the buildings were all faded, and bits of them had fallen into the ocean or been blowed away by storms. The rest of it looked like it was all about to collapse at any moment.

"Not much left it seems," said Re.

"Aurora, can you fix it?" Asked Hiccup. Aurora looked at the ruins.

"I sure can," said Aurora. She separated from the group and swooped down over the outpost. She breathed her blew fire at them as she flew by. When the fire cleared, all the buildings were rebuild and repainted. Aurora landed on the runway outside the stables.

"Wow," said Avalon. "This place looks fun." All the dragons landed next to Aurora on the runway, except for the dragonets who landed in the arena.

"So your mother has magic," said Hurricane. "Is that where you got it?"

"Yes, Apollo and I both inherited her magic," said Avalon. She looked around at the outpost. "I like this place."

"I wonder where we're all going to sleep," said Black Widow.

"Well the riders will sleep in their huts, their dragons in the stables, the rest of us outside," said Apollo. "Chris and Serenity can sleep in their tent."

"I don't mind sleeping outside with you guys," said Edelweiss.

"How long you guys staying here?" Hurricane asked.

"All summer," said Avalon. "I think Hiccup wants to use this place again, for something. Can you stay for a few days?"

"Yeah, but then I must go back to Mother," said Hurricane. "But I can come back again I'm sure, as long as I don't mention humans."

"Then come on lets go explore," said Edelweiss. "Maybe we'll find more dragons our age." The dragonets spread their wings and took off over the island.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Eider followed his friends as they explored Dragon's Edge, while the adults settled into their sleeping quarters. The dragonets made their way up to the highest building that looked out over the whole outpost. They landed on the porch and entered.

"What is this place?" Asked Black Widow.

"It reminds me of the Great Hall back on Berk," said Avalon. "Maybe that's what this is." They went up to the large fire pit in the middle. After the great hall, they moved to the next building which was Hiccup's hut. They looked in to find Hiccup spreading out his map, and Toothless curled up on his stone.

"Hi Hiccup," said Avalon. "This is where you live?"

"It's where I used to live, all those years ago," said Hiccup. "Are you guys liking the Edge so far?"

"So far," said Avalon.

"It's nicer than Berk," said Apollo. "Not as crowded."

"And there aren't any grouchy Vikings to get in the way of," said Eider. Black Widow spotted the wall with the different tail fins.

"What are those?" She asked.

"Toothless's spare tail fins," said Hiccup.

"Oh," said Black Widow.

"I haven't had use them in a long time though," Hiccup added. "Are you guys coming in or what?" The dragonets exchanged a glance.

"All right," said Avalon. They entered the hut. Hurricane flew up to the roof and perched on a beam. Eider looked down at the map.

"Wow, have you been to all these places?" He asked. "I've put every island I've been to on this map, except for Vanahiem." Avalon snickered suddenly.

"Itchy Armpit, that's funny," she laughed. "Where'd you get that name from?" Hiccup looked over at Toothless.

"Ah, yeah he got it from he apparently," Toothless said lazily. "I was scratching myself at the moment." The dragonets laughed.

"Well at least it's easy to remember," said Edelweiss. "What's that island like?"

"Pretty average actually," said Hiccup. "A couple of Terrors and a few Whispering Deaths."

"Cool," said Eider. "Are we going to visit all these places?"

"Most of them," said Hiccup. "Hey, why don't you guys pick where we go next."

"Really?" Avalon asked, surprised.

"Yeah, I insist," said Hiccup. He sat back on his heal. The dragonets looked over the large map.

"How about this one," said Avalon. "Isle of the Shadow Wings."

"What's a Shadow Wing?" Edelweiss asked.

"It's a species of dragon I stumbled on during the Midnight Sun," said Hiccup. "They aren't the friendliest dragon." The dragonets looked back down at the map.

"How about Defenders of the Wing Island?" Apollo suggested. "Wow, that's a bit of a mouthful."

"That's a better choice," said Hiccup. "It's also known as Eruptadon Island."

"I like that name better," said Apollo. "It's shorter."

"Queen Mala's going to really like you guys I think," said Toothless. "She and Queen Aurora became good friends while we were fighting dragon hunters."

"That sounds fun," said Avalon. "Mother never really gets to interact with other queens."

"We'll head out that way when we've all rested," said Hiccup. Avalon looked out at the sunlight.

"We should get some more exploring done before the sun sets," she said. "Thank you Hiccup."

"Sure thing," said Hiccup. The dragonets left the hut and took off again, with Hurricane in tow.

They went farther inland, exploring the rest of the island. They circled the top of the volcano, but there was nothing in the crater except rocks. Though they could still smell sulfur when they got lower. After the volcano, the dragonets flew into the woods and landed beside a small lake. Edelweiss dismounted.

"Don't forget Edel, you'll have to hide your scales when we visit the Defenders of the Wing," said Avalon.

"I remember," said Edel, sadly. "I wonder where the Night Terrors are."

"They're nocturnal," said Black Widow. "So they'll be in their cave."

"Let's not bother them," said Avalon. "We'll meet them in good time. Let's go swimming."

"I'm not much of a swimmer," said Hurricane. "I can dive for fish and all, but I don't swim unless I have to."

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to Hurricane," said Avalon. She clicked her talons and all the saddles and armor vanished, but Avalon's wristbands and collar stayed where they were. Black Widow and Edelweiss ran into the water, Hurricane crawled onto a dead tree and laid down. Eider looked over at Avalon.

"I think peacocks look great on you," he told her. Avalon admired her wristbands.

"Thanks," she said. "I'm thinking of changing my symbol from a leaf to a peacock."

"You know you can only change your insignia once," said Eider. "It puts less strain on your uncle who has to keep track of all the insignias."

"I know, I haven't made up my mind yet," said Avalon. "I'll ask Mother later. Come on, race you to the water." She took off into the water, and Eider followed.

They played in the water for the rest of the day. Hurricane snatched newts from the water and ate them. Before long Aurora flew over them, and called her dragonets. Avalon and Apollo spread their wings and took off.

"Come on Hurricane, you can spend the night with us," said Apollo.

"Don't mind if I do," said Hurricane. She took off and followed them as they followed their mother back to the base. A moment later Windwalker circled the lake and called for Black Widow. Edelweiss mounted her dragon and they took off, following Windwalker. Eider watched them all go, leaving him behind. He knew that no one would come for him. His parents were dead, and his foster parents were all the way back in Draconia. Eider left the water and walked back to the base, he didn't feel like flying.

The sun had set by the time he'd reached the base. The other dragons were either heading into the stables, or curling up on the grass. Tenor lead Windwalker and Black Widow down to the cave he'd stayed in while he was living on the Edge. Eider could hear Windwalker's remark about the cave.

"My goodness Tenor, did you ever clean this place?" She asked. Eider swooped down and landed on a rock outside. The floor of the cave was littered with dead animal bones and bird feathers.

"Ewe, it reeks," said Black Widow. Tenor looked so embarrassed.

"I'm so sorry, I thought I had cleaned it," he said. He quickly swept it all out of the cave with his tail. Eider, flew off and landed up at the cliff beside the base where Chris and Serenity had set up their tent. Edelweiss had her own small tent set up beside it that Avalon had conjured up for her. Eider could hear Chris and Serenity talking inside. It seemed Chris had forgotten his sleeping bag.

"You can sleep in mine," Serenity suggested. "I can sleep without one. I've done it before."

"So have I," said Chris. Serenity considered.

"Maybe we can both use my sleeping bag," she suggested. "It should be big enough, and it would probably be warmer."

"I've read about people in the frozen north that do that," Chris said. "It warms them right up. Of course it would warm up faster if you take your clothes off."

"Oh, you'd like that wouldn't you," Serenity chuckled. Eider walked off and looked for a place to sleep. He spotted a large boulder near the woods. He went over and laid down beside it. He could see Re and Aurora curling up in the grass. Avalon and Apollo laid next to their mother, and Hurricane covered herself with her massive wings.

Soon everyone fell asleep as a crescent moon rose over the island. Eider laid his head down, but couldn't fall asleep. All the other dragonets had their families with them, and his parents were far away in the Dragon Heaven. He glanced up at the Constellation Draco, it looked so far away. He wondered if Re and Aurora would send for Ruby and Harmony, so he'd have someone to sleep next to. Eventually he fell asleep.

When he woke up again, he was laying in the nest he remembered living in with his parents just after he had hatched. Massive swarms of dragons flew between the massive rock columns, that were covered in different colored crystals that glowed brightly. Eider's nest was up so high, that he couldn't see the floor. It was a mixture of soft ferns and glowing green mushrooms. Laying next to him was a light indigo female Whippertail with white circles on her wings and amber eyes. She was watching the traffic of dragons, as though she as waiting for something. Eider knew this dragon anywhere, it was his mother Pyrrhia. She glanced down at him and smiled warmly.

"Hello baby," she purred. Eider smiled back at her and nuzzled her neck. Pyrrhia draped her beautiful wing around his shoulders.

"Where's Daddy?" He asked.

"He'll be along my sweet," said Pyrrhia. "Don't you worry." At that moment another dragon announced his approached. They looked to see a dragon that had the red, black, and yellow stripes of a coral snake, red wings, black horns, talons, and spines, and yellow eyes. Eider recognized him as his father, Taipan. Eider jumped to his feet and ran up to him. Taipan beamed nibbled Eider's neck.

"Hi Eider," he said in his monotone voice. "I brought you something." He set a large octopus in front of Eider. Then Taipan nuzzled Pyrrhia while Eider ate the octopus.

"I think we can move out in about two weeks," Taipan said. "And we can go back to our own nest."

"I kind of like it here," said Pyrrhia. "It feels safe."

"I agree," said Taipan. "But I miss seeing the stars, and the sunlight."

"Very well," said Pyrriha. "As long as we can come back here often."

"Deal," said Taipan. Eider finished his octopus and ran up to his parents and rubbed against his mother's legs.

"You have such a fun life ahead of you my sweet," Pyrrhia said. "There's a big world out there."

"Yay!" Eider exclaimed. He pranced around, fluttering his wings. "Will I make new friends?" Taipan smiled.

"I guarantee it," he said. "And a lot of them."

"Maybe even a girlfriend," said Pyrrhia with a giggle. Taipan rolled his eyes. Eider went back up to them. Pyrrhia laid down and pulled Eider close to her with her wing. Taipan laid down on Pyrrhia's other side and put his wing over both of them.

"No matter what happens Eider, we'll always be there," Pyrrhia whispered. "I love you so much." Eider wormed as close as he could to her warmth and laid his head down and closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, he was back on Dragon's Edge and his mother's warm scales turned into cold stone, and it was raining. He sat up and looked around. The island was getting drenched, Eider now realized he was laying mud instead of soft ferns. He looked over at Re and Aurora, who were still sleeping. They didn't seem notice the rain or the wind. Eider remembered watching his parents play happily in the rain, and rolling in the mud. He would often join them whenever he wasn't eating. Eider loved how lively, adventurous, and young at heart his parents had been. They had been so fun to live with, and he was really missing them. Ruby and Harmony ever played in mud, since Harmony didn't want to ruin her feathers. But they did enjoy watching him do it. Ruby and Harmony hadn't been as fun as his parents, but they were loving, supportive, and helped him recover from the post traumatic stress after his parents had died. He was really missing them too.

Realizing he couldn't get back to sleep, Eider got to his feet. The mud was pretty deep and squishy. He beamed and pranced through it, getting it all over his wings and scales. He also discovered it was very slippery. So while he waited for his friends to wake up, he ran and slid into the mud over and over. It got all over the place and all over him, but he didn't care. The sun came up, but it couldn't really get through the dense storm clouds. Eider got so carried away, that he didn't even notice when Avalon and Apollo woke up. Eider ran through the mud. He suddenly saw Avalon in front of him. He tried slamming on the breaks, but he slid right into her. They both landed in the mud, and got it all over Apollo as well.

"Draco's flame Eider what are you doing?" Avalon asked, disgusted.

"I'm sorry," said Eider, untangling himself from her. "My parents used to play in the mud all the time." He got to his feet and took a deep breath. Avalon softened a bit.

"It must have been wonderful," she said.

"Yeah," said Eider. "I dreamed about them last night, again." He sat on his haunches and hung his head. Avalon and Apollo sat beside him, forgetting about the mud. "You guys are so lucky to have your parents here."

"We can have Ruby and Harmony come up," Apollo suggested. "We don't want you to be lonely every night."

"I think I'll be okay," said Eider.

"You sure?" Avalon asked.

"I think so," said Eider. "If it get worse, then I'll seek help."

"You promise?" Apollo asked.

"I promise," said Eider strongly. At that moment Re and Aurora woke up and got to their feet.

"Good morning guys," said Aurora. She looked up at the sky. "Looks like we're not going to visit Queen Mala today."

"What happened to you guys?" Re asked, looking down at the muddy dragonets.

"I dreamed about my parents again," Eider explained. "They loved playing in the mud. I was rolling in the mud to remember them." Re gave him a soft smile.

"Did you sleep okay?" Aurora asked, concerned. "Do you need Ruby and Harmony to come up here?" Eider rolled his eyes.

"No, I'm okay now," he said. "I feel better when everyone else is awake."

"Maybe tonight we can all sleep together," Avalon suggested. "In the stables or something."

"All right," said Aurora. She looked down at Eider. "Let us know if you we can do anything for you."

"You've done so much for me your majesty," said Eider. "I can't think of anything else. Unless you can bring my parents back."

"I wish I could," said Aurora. "But I don't have that power. Although, an idea just occurred to me."

"What is it Mother?" Avalon asked.

"I'm wondering if Father can allow spirits of passed loved ones to visit Earth one night a year," said Aurora. "I know humans plan to have something like that later."

"That's a great idea," said Apollo. "I'm sure he'll like it."

"Well, since we aren't going anywhere, lets go back to exploring," said Avalon. The dragonets all agreed.

"Maybe we'll see a rainbow when it stops raining," said Black Widow hopefully. They headed into the forest. Avalon used her magic to keep the rain off them.

They explored the Edge's caves this time, since it was dryer. Black Widow noticed Eider's far away look, as they entered a large cave near the outpost.

"You and Serenity were both taken in by Ruby right?" She asked.

"Yeah," said Eider.

"So doesn't that mean she's your sister?" Black Widow asked.

"It does," said Eider.

"Maybe she can help you," said Black Widow.

"I'm fine Black Widow really," said Eider. "The dreams aren't bad. They're happy dreams. If they turn into nightmares, then I'll seek help." He smiled, flashing his black teeth. He hurried to keep up with Avalon. They went deeper into the cave. Edelwiess picked up a torch, and Apollo lit it. They went down a tunnel.

"Hey what's this writing?" Edelweiss asked. She held the torch up to the wall. The light illuminated a paragraph written in old Viking ruins.

"I guess humans lived in this cave once," said Apollo.

"It is quite cozy in here," said Hurricane. "I'd be perfect for humans. And we can stay here until the rain stops."

"How do you Silver Phantoms handle storms?" Eider asked.

"We fly higher than most storms," said Hurricane. "And we're very good a reading weather. We can smell a storm coming from miles away."

"Cool," said Black Widow. "So you live most of lives in the sky huh?"

"Yup," said Hurricane. "Newly hatched dragonets start flying the day they hatch." She laid down on the floor of the cave, and wrapped her enormous wings around herself. The others followed suit. Edelweiss sat between Black Widow and Hurricane. Eider sat beside Avalon. Hurricane looked over at Black Widow.

"So what's it like to have a human on your back?" She asked.

"It's not as bad as most dragons think," said Black Widow. "You get an extra pair of eyes to watch for danger, and you get a friend for life."

"You should try it," said Eider. "Edel's a great rider." Hurricane looked over at Edelweiss, deep in thought.

"I'll go easy on you," Edel promised. "Both my parents have ridden all sorts of wild dragons, and taught me everything they know."

"All right," said Hurricane. "When the rain stops." She glanced in the direction of the exit. "I think we'll be here a while."

"I don't mind," said Avalon. "We can see if there's anything else in here, maybe we'll find treasure."

"Since when do you care about treasure?" Apollo asked.

"Since I got these," said Avalon, holding up her wristbands. The dragonets exchanged a glance. Avalon narrowed her eyes. "I want to learn to make jewelry, like the dragon who made these."

"Oh, interesting," said Eider. "That does sound fun."

"I can make things for all you guys," said Avalon. "Come on." She lead the way deeper into the tunnel, Edelweiss held up the torch to light they way. They hadn't gone a foot when they heard a dragon land outside, and someone gasped.

"What are you guys doing in here?" Fishlegs asked, shocked. "Get out of there it's dangerous." The dragonets looked confused.

"What are you talking about Fishlegs?" Black Widow asked. "The chances of a cave in are about a hundred to one."

"No, it's not that," Fishlegs shouted. "Get out of there now!" The dragonets hesitated.

"Not until you tell us why," said Avalon. "We're looking for treasure." Just then Hiccup and Toothless landed beside Meatlug.

"Hiccup, these dragonets aren't coming out of there," said Fishlegs. Hiccup looked over at the dragonets.

"Hey guys, a swarm of hostile cave dragons live in this cave," said Hiccup. "No one's allowed in there except Fishlegs."

"And besides, it stopped raining," said Toothless.

"Oh, well, you could have started with that," said Avalon. "Come on guys." Edelweiss put out the torch, and the dragonets exited the cave. Sure enough, the rain had stopped but the sky was still grey.

"Thank you guys," said Hiccup.

"Anyplace else that's off limits?" Eider asked.

"Just this cave, and the mouth of the volcano," said Hiccup. "Other then that, you have free rein." The dragonets beamed. Edel mounted Black Widow and they took off.

They landed on the porch of the clubhouse, and Edel dismounted. The dragonets shook the water and mud off their scales. Edel looked over at Hurricane.

"You want to try riding you now?" She asked, holding her hand out. "Just once around the base." Hurricane looked at her hand. Then she smiled and placed her snout into Edel's palm.

"Sure," she said. "Just once though." She lowered herself down and Edelweiss climbed onto her back.

"We'll fly beside you, just in case," said Avalon. Edelweiss held on to Hurricane's horns and they took off. Hurricane was a little wobbly since she wasn't used to the wait. But she got used to it and sped up. The other dragonets followed. They flew slowly around the outpost.

"Well this isn't so bad," said Hurricane. "You're not as heavy as you look."

"Yeah," said Edelweiss.

"Say Hurricane, we're looking to even up our numbers," said Eider. "You want to join our team?"

"Oh, it is tempting," said Hurricane. "But I have to go back to Mother soon. Thank you for the offer though." Just then Fishlegs and Meatlug flew in front of them.

"Hey Edel, you're riding the Silver Phantom," said Fishlegs. "How did you train her?"

"I didn't train her Fishlegs," said Edelweiss. "She just wanted to see what it's like to have a human on her back."

"Oh fascinating," said Fishlegs. "Will she be returning to her mother anytime soon?"

"In a few days," said Avalon.

"Perfect, gives me time to study her," said Fishlegs, he pulled out a notebook and began writing in it. Hurricane hissed in annoyance.

"I don't think she wants to be studied Fishlegs," said Edelweiss. "Not every dragon does, and you should give wild dragons their personal space."

"I always give dragons their personal space," said Fishlegs.

"Can we go? This guy's creeping me out," said Hurricane. The dragonets ducked under Meatlug and flew off.

They finished their loop around the base and landed back at the clubhouse. Hurricane folded her wings and Edelweiss dismounted.

"That was fun," she said.

"Yeah it was," said Hurricane. "We can go faster next time."

"Thanks, but Black Widow's my dragon," said Edelweiss, stroking Black Widow's neck. "I only ride another dragon when she's unavailable."

"Wow, such loyalty," said Hurricane. "That's so sweet." Just she spotted Fishlegs and Meatlug flying towards them. "Oh, why won't this guy leave me alone?" She roared.

"Fly as high as you can," said Avalon. "You'll loose them." Hurricane spread her wings and flew off as fast as she could. Fishlegs spun Meatlug around to follow her. But the dragonets took off and swarmed them.

"Leave her alone Fishlegs," demanded Avalon. "Or we'll advise her to return home tonight, and never come back."

"Okay, okay," said Fishlegs. "I just wanted to learn about her, this could be my one shot."

"I don't think you sound threatening enough," said Black Widow.

"You're right," said Avalon. "Apollo, will you go get Hiccup and our parents?" Apollo nodded and flew off.

"Why are you guys doing this?" Meatlug asked. "We aren't going to hurt the Silver Phantom, we just want to learn about her. We won't even touch her, we'll just watch her from a distance."

"Nobody likes a stalker Meatlug," said Eider. Just then Apollo, Re, Aurora, Hiccup, and Toothless joined them.

"What's going on Fishlegs?" Asked Hiccup. "Apollo said you're bugging the Silver Phantom."

"I'm not, I'm just studying her," said Fishlegs. "You know how I get around new dragons."

"Where'd she go?" Re asked.

"She went up higher where she feels safer," said Avalon.

"Okay, Fishlegs I think you need to back off," said Aurora. "Hurricane's not comfortable with you following her." Fishlegs sighed.

"All right," he said. He flew Meatlug back towards their hut.

"Thank you," said Avalon to the adults. "And Hurricane thanks you too."

"You're all welcome," said Hiccup. "Hopefully this won't happen again."

"If it does you let us know," said Re.

"You should all come inside," said Aurora. "It's about to rain again, harder." The dragonets followed them to the arena, where the other riders and dragons were waiting. They waited for Hurricane to join them, before closing the dome. The dragonets gathered on one side of the arena.

"Are you okay Hurricane?" Eider asked.

"Yeah," said Hurricane.

"You can go home early if you want to," said Avalon. "If you're not comfortable."

"I'm fine for now," said Hurricane. She yawned.

The Draconians decided to all stay in the arena for the night. Apollo and Avalon curled up next to their parents, with Hurricane. Chris, Serenity, and Edelweiss slept beside their dragons. Eider was alone again. He laid down and closed his eyes. His mind wandered back to his parents. He wished he was curled up beside his mother, he missed her and his father so much. He soon drifted off to sleep.

He woke up laying next to his mother, but they were no longer in the brightly colored nest. Now they were sleeping on a high hill, in the grass. Eider sat up and looked around. They were surrounded by hills and fog. Pyrrhia sat up and smiled down at him.

"Good morning little one," she cooed. She licked his face.

"Where are we Mother?" Eider asked.

"We're in Scotland," said Pyrrhia. "There's a water dragon we know, she might have a new place for us." Eider smiled and nuzzled her neck. Taipan woke up at that point.

"Hi Dad," Eider said happily.

"Good morning Eider," said Taipan said. "You ready to get going?" Eider nodded and jumped to his feet. His parents got up as well. They spread their wings and took off. Eider spun and twirled, while keeping his parents in his sights. Suddenly they were flying over a vast lake. Pyrrhia and Taipan descended lower over the water. Eider flew behind them slightly. The lake was beautiful and looked pretty deep. But he suddenly got a dark feeling of foreboding. He glanced up at his parents in time to see a huge harpoon whizz through the air, and hit Taipan right in the heart. It was followed by a second harpoon which stabbed Pyrrhia's heart.

"NNNOOOOOOO!" Eider screamed as he watched his parents die right in front of him. They fell towards the water and landed with a splash. "MAMA! PAPAAAA!" Tears streamed down his face. He spotted a third harpoon streaking towards him, but he dodged it. He flew down to his parents and landed on his mother's lifeless body.

"Mama! Wake up!" He begged. "Please!" Neither his father or his mother moved. Eider felt pain in his heart. One minuet he and his parents were flying happily, and the next Eider found himself alone. He suddenly heard something else flying towards him. He looked up to see a boulder speeding towards him. He took off to avoid it, but hit him hard, knocking him into the water. Eider felt his wrist break painfully. He tried to tread the water, with is wings and good leg. He saw several large boats, filled with humans, hauling the bodies of his parents onboard like they were nets full of fish. Eider called out to his parents, even though he knew they were dead. Another boat came up to him. He tried to swim away, but the humans caught him in a net, and pulled him onboard. He looked up to see a huge man holing a hammer over his head.

"MAMA!" Eider screamed just before the hammer was brought down on his head.

Eider woke up back in the arena. He was breathing heavily, and he felt tears in his eyes. As he calmed down, he began to cry softly. His parents had died so long ago, but his heart still hurt like it had just happened, and he still longed for his mother. He sat up, and wiped the tears from his snout. He looked around and saw the other dragonets sound asleep next to their parents. Eider sniffed and lowered his head sadly. His parents were dead, and not coming back, he was all alone. Unable to go back to sleep, he got to his feet. He stuck his head outside the dome. The island was getting drenched by rain and waves. Yet the outpost was untouched, Aurora was clearly using her magic to protect it. Eider carefully walked outside, ignoring the rain. He walked out onto the cliff and laid down in the grass. He watched the storm blow itself out.

The rain soon stopped and the clouds cleared. Eider quickly spotted Draco's stars. He looked up at them, then looked away. The stars gave him no comfort this time. He laid his head on his front talons, and longed for his mother. He wanted to tell someone about the nightmare, and how he felt. But none of the other dragonets could fully understand. Then his mind went to the adults. Hiccup had lost his dad in battle, shot in the heart by Toothless's plasma blast. But Hiccup still had his mother. Tenor had gone his whole life without his parents, and had been alone. But he found his parents, and rescued them. Now he had a family of his own. That brought Eider's mind to Windwalker. Her parents were killed right in front of her, and she never saw them again. She would understand the best.

Eider glanced back at the dome. He considered talking to her now, but she wasn't the most pleasant dragon to wake up. Eider wanted to talk to someone now, hopefully it would help him feel better. He got back up and went back into the dome. He spotted Windwalker, fast asleep with Black Widow curled under her wing. Eider gulped nervously. He quietly approached her. He used his front paws to push on her head. She growled in her sleep, but didn't wake up. Eider pushed harder and she growled again. Eider sighed.

"Windwalker, please wake up," he said. He heard a grunt behind him. He turned to see Black Widow yawning.

"What are you doing Eider?" She asked, sleepily. "What are you waking her up for?"

"I had a nightmare," said Eider. He felt a little better now that someone was awake. "About my parents being killed. Windwalker is the only one here that would fully understand, I was hoping she could help me." Black Widow gave him a small smile, but her eyes were sympathetic.

"I'm sure Mother will be glad to help you," she said. "But it'll have to wait until morning." Eider looked sadly at the floor. "Maybe she can unlock your titan wing, maybe that will help you feel better. Mother hates being woken up for anything but an emergency."

"All right," Eider said. He turned to head back to his lonely side of the dome, with his head still down. Black Widow frowned. She hurried after him.

"Eider wait," she said. "You don't have to sleep alone. Come on." She made her way over to Avalon, Apollo, Hurricane and Edelweiss. She woke them all up.

"Hey guys, Eider's feeling lonely," Black Widow asked. "Maybe we should all sleep together."

"I think that's a great idea," said Avalon. "No one sleeps alone." Eider felt touched by this. All the dragonets curled up together, Edelweiss slept beside her dragon. They all went back to sleep, Eider was starting to feel better. He dozed off. Little did he know, Windwalker was secretly listening to and watching them.

The next morning the storm had finally passed and the sun was out. The dragonets got up and yawned.

"Feeling better Eider?" Black Widow.

"Yeah," Eider. "Thanks guys. But I still want to talk to Windwalker." He stretched his wings. The adults were waking up as well.

"Oh, I'm so glad that's over," said Re. "I thought it would never stop raining." Windwalker looked down at Eider, while Aurora opened the dome.

"Was there something you wanted to tell me Eider?" She asked. "You tried very hard to wake me up."

"Yes, I'm so sorry Windwalker," Eider said. "I know it's a bad idea to wake a Night Fury." He took a deep breath. Windwalker whispered something to Tenor. He looked surprised.

"Okay," he said. "I'll get on that." He spread his wings and took off.

"Where's he going?" Eider asked.

"To get breakfast," said Windwalker. "Now, why don't we go for a little walk." She turned and left the arena. Eider looked at Black Widow.

"You're fine Eider," said Black Widow. "Mother's only fierce on the outside. She just wants to help you." Eider ran off and caught up with Windwalker.

They headed into the forest. The ground was plenty soggy from the storm.

"So Eider, what happened last night?" Windwalker asked.

"I had a nightmare, I had to watch my parents being shot down again," Eider said, trying not to cry.

"Ah, yes," Windwalker said, she stopped walking. "I see why you wanted to talk to me."

"I'm sorry I tried to wake you up," said Eider.

"You're fine Eider," said Windwalker. "I think I have something that can help you, but you may not like it at first." She continued walking and they soon came to a large lake, that looked pretty deep.

"What are we doing here?" Eider asked. Windwalker glanced up and he followed her gaze. He saw Avalon flying high overhead, the bright sunlight glinted off her scales. Eider suddenly got a familiar sense of daja vu. Something small shot towards the princess. It hit her and Eider watched in horror as she fell towards the water.

"AVALON!" He cried. He was about to take off to rescue her, but was pinned down by Windwalker, who's scales were glowing bright blue. Eider wriggled as hard as he could, but to no effect.

"Let me go!" Eider cried.

"Unlock you titan wing, you'll have the strength to break free," said Windwalker. "Hurry though, she's falling fast." Eider tried harder, his eyes fixed on Avalon. But suddenly his nightmares entered his mind, and Avalon turned into Pyrriha. A harpoon sticking out of her chest.

"NOOO!" Eider cried. "MAMA, NOO. Make it stop please." He broke down into sobs. "Please make it stop!" Avalon was about to hit the water, and he shut his eyes. He heard another dragon land nearby.

"I don't think he's going to get it Windy," said Tenor. "He's looking pretty devastated." Windwalker sighed.

"Yeah all right," she said. "Go get Avalon out of the water, and don't call me Windy." She got off Eider, who was still sobbing hysterically. Windwalker fished Avalon out of the lake. The Princess shook the water off her scales and ran over to Eider, trailing a limp wing behind her.

"It's okay Eider," she said, worried. "I'm not hurt." Eider looked up at her.

"I'm sorry I didn't save you," he sobbed. "I failed."

"I didn't unlock my titan wing at first either," said Avalon. Windwalker joined them.

"I'll take care of him," she said. "You go back with Tenor, Serenity can fix your wing." Avalon looked over at Tenor, who was holding a blow gun.

"Nice shot Uncle," she said. She casually scratched behind her horns, she had removed her collar and wristbands for the moment.

"Thanks," said Tenor. They headed back towards the outpost. Windwalker looked down at Eider, who had put his talons over his head.

"I failed," Eider said.

"You only failed this time," said Windwalker. Then she sighed. "I do understand what you're going through Eider, I went through the exact same thing when my parents died. I still miss them to this day. But kept my eyes on the future. I made a lot of friends, and having them around really helps. I think the reason you've had these dreams is because you've been sleeping alone. You have a great group of friends, you should make sure they don't meet the same fate as your parents, and they can help you overcome your loss. Your titan wing can help." Eider took a few deep breaths.

"Thanks," he said quietly. Windwalker gave him a friendly nudge.

"We're all in the same skies," she said. "Maybe one day you can help another dragon who's lost their parents someday, that helps too. We should get back." Eider smiled and got to his feet. He and Windwalker spread their wings and took off.

They landed back at a cliff near the outpost, where the Berkian riders and the other dragonets were gathered. Avalon's wing was in a sling. Eider hurried over to his friends.

"You're looking better," Avalon said.

"I feel better," said Eider. "I won't let you guys meet the same fate as my parents." His friends smiled.

"Then I'll give you the title of Protector," said Avalon, scratching behind her horns. "I've been brainstorming last night. I'm thinking of giving each of my team members a roll and a title in the team. I'm the Leader, Eider will be the Protector, Black Widow will be the Navigator, Apollo will be the Rescuer, and Edelweiss will be the Healer."

"But who's going to be the Fighter?" Eider asked. "We'll need a Fighter."

"We're all the Fighter," said Avalon. "Is everyone pleased with the titles?"

"I am," said Apollo. "So Eider will still be King and you Queen?"

"Yes, but there will be no Prime Minister or Captain of the Guard," said Avalon, scratching harder. "Just those titles and rolls."

"Is that legal?" Black Widow asked.

"It will be when I'm Queen," said Avalon. "We'll all run Draconia together, like our parents do." The dragonets exchanged a glance.

"I'm liking the sound of this," said Apollo. "As long as you don't get all bossy."

"I promise to not get too bossy," said Avalon. She shook her head and scratched harder. Black Widow narrowed her eyes.

"Are you okay Avalon?" She asked. "I've never seen you itch that much."

"I'm fine," said Avalon. "It's probably just from my collar, Toothless and Hiccup said metal can be very itchy." Just then Fishlegs approached them.

"How's your wing Avalon?" He asked. Avalon glanced down at her wing.

"I still can't feel it," she said. "That Speed Stinger stuff is very long lasting." She used her back talons to scratch behind her horns.

"What's the matter with you Avalon?" Asked Fishlegs.

"I'm fine," said Avalon, through clenched teeth. "I think I was just wearing that collar for too long." She shook her head, over and over.

"Umm, I don't think it's the collar Avalon," said Astrid. They all looked at the princess. She tensed up and growled.

"Oh no," said Fishlegs, loudly. "We should get back." Everyone slowly backed away from Avalon. Suddenly her eyes snapped open as wide as they'd go, and her pupils went thin. Her bottom lip began to glow with fiery jade saliva.

"Avalon! what's going on?" Apollo panicked. Avalon didn't answer and began stalking towards them, ready to attack.

"What's happening!?" Black Widow asked.

"She's been infected by Grimoras," said Fishlegs. "Her mind is no longer her own."

"Grimoras?" Said the dragonets in unison.

"Yeah we told you about them," said Astrid. "Dragon parasite, can be repelled with salt."

"You didn't tell us what the symptoms were," said Apollo.

"She must have gotten the Grimoras when she fell into the lake," said Eider. Avalon creeped closer.

"She'll be fine, we just need to get her in the ocean," said Hiccup. Suddenly Avalon lunged at them, claws out and teeth bared. Thinking fast, Eider jumped and knocked her off course. He wrestled Avalon towards the cliff and the ocean below. But the princess proved tough to take down, Eider was very careful to not bite. He used his claws and tail to pin her down. She suddenly bit him on the leg, which made him release her. She fought him back, putting up a great fight. She snarled and fired her jade green flames at Eider, which he dodged.

"Should we help?" Fishlegs asked.

"No, I can do this," said Eider, panting a bit. "I've sparred with her countless times." He circled around her, so she was between him and the edge of the cliff. She fixed her gaze on him. Eider gnashed his black teeth and whipped his tail.

"Draco help me," he said. He ran at her at full speed. Avalon ran at him, her eyes wild. Eider put on a burst of speed, and rammed his shoulder into her. The force carried them right over the edge.

Everyone waited for them to come back up, and waited. However, they didn't come back up.

"Come on Eider," said Black Widow quietly. Just then the Draconians joined them, having heard the commotion.

"What's happening?" Re asked.

"Avalon got infected with Grimoras," said Fishlegs. "And Eider pushed her over the cliff, they haven't come back up." Re and Aurora hurried over to the cliff, but saw no sign of Avalon or Eider. Everyone looked as well.

"Avalon!" Apollo called. They suddenly saw tiny things zip out of the water, screeching. A moment later, Avalon flew out of the water as fast as she could. As she got closer to them, they saw she was back to normal. She landed on the cliff.

"Avalon are you okay?" Apollo asked.

"I feel a bit week, but I'm okay," Avalon said. "And I can feel my wing again."

"But where's Eider?" Hiccup asked.

"I don't know," said Avalon. "I turned around in the water and he was gone." She looked back down at the water, but no one came out of it.

"Eider!" She called.

"How did you even get Grimoras on you?" Asked Aurora.

"I fell into a lake," said Avalon. "Tenor, Windwalker, and I wanted to unlock Eider's titan wing, to help him feel better." She looked back at the water, just in time to see something shoot out of it. It rocketed high into the sky, paused then shot towards the cliff. Everyone backed up as it got closer.

"It's Eider," said Avalon happily. Eider swooped down and hovered above the cliff with his wings out wide. He looked very different.

His wing membranes had turned white. A white obtuse triangle appeared under each of his amber eyes, and a white arch appeared on his forehead. The rest of him was covered in white lighting that went from his head to his talons and tail. Eider looked down at himself, beaming. He flew off again and swooped over the outpost. His speed had increased. He headed high over the ocean until he was a speck in the blue sky. He shot his enhanced silver flames into the sky. Then he swooped back down and landed on the cliff, now a fully grown dragon.

He was almost as big as Skullcrusher and as muscular as Cloudjumper. He folded his wings and stood at his full height.

"Wow, he's full grown," said Fishlegs.

"And he's huge," said Ruffnut, approaching Eider. Astrid looked over at Avalon.

"When are you guys going to reach full growth?" She asked.

"I'm guessing by the end of this summer we will all be full grown," said Avalon.

"Which mean this could be our last summer up here," Re said. "Before we retire."

"Retire as King and Queen?" Asked Hiccup.

"Yup," said Aurora. "I'm looking forward to it too. It's been a long reign for us." She stretched her wings. "Now, I'd like to head out to Eruptadon Island."

"I agree," said Hiccup. "Lets saddle up."

The riders saddled up their dragons. Avalon put her collar and wristbands back on. Eider deactivated his titan wing. Everyone gathered on the runway, when they were ready. Then they mounted up and took off. They separated into three formations and headed out over the ocean.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The dragonets followed the adults as they got closer to Eruptadon Island. Smoke was rising from the mouth of the volcano that towered over the village. As they got closer, Toothless let out a loud roar to announce their arrival. The dragonets were a bit nervous.

"You think it's safe for us?" Black Widow asked. "I don't think Queen Mala's used to so many dragons our age." Avalon hesitated as the adults headed in for landing.

"You guys circle overhead," she said. "I'll go down with the adults. I'll call you down if it's safe. Don't forget to hide your scales Edel." Edelweiss nodded. She looked down at her white scales, and made them vanish into her skin. Avalon joined the adults as they landed in the plaza beneath the Eruptadon statue, the other dragonets circled way above the village staying out of harms way. Avalon stood beside her mother as they were approached by Queen Mala, her husband King Dagur the Deranged, and Throck.

"Welcome friends and neighbors!" said Dagur. Avalon fidgeted on the spot.

"Hello Valka," said Mala. "Nice to see you again, and you Cloudjumper." She patted Cloudjumper on the snout.

"Hello to you too Queen Mala," said Valka. Avalon glanced up at her group, making sure the were high enough and communicating telepathically with Apollo.

"Hello Brother!" Dagur exclaimed to Hiccup with his harms out wide. "I was beginning to think you'd never come visit."

"Sorry Dagur, we had battles to fight and dragons to free," said Hiccup.

"Well, you're here now," said Dagur. "With all your friends, that's all that matters." Mala then spotted Avalon, who was looking very timid. Hiccup followed her gaze.

"This is Re and Aurora's daughter, Princess Avalon," he said. He then addressed Avalon. "Where are your friends?"

"They're circling the village," said Avalon. "They're a bit shy about landing here. I volunteered to come down here to see if it was safe."

"You don't trust us," said Mala.

"We don't know you, and you don't know us," said Avalon. "My friends and I have gotten ourselves into a lot of trouble on Berk. We don't want to cause your village any trouble." She clawed the ground nervously.

"Oh, we can handle trouble around here," said Dagur

"You guys don't have to worry," said Mala. She held out a sageroot. Avalon carefully approached. She sniffed the sageroot, and didn't smell poison. She took it in her talon.

"What is this?" She asked.

"Oh, it's sageroot," said Mala. "It'll calm your nerves." Avalon ate the fruit and it did calm her down.

"Thank you," she said.

"Why don't you call your friends down here too," said Throck. "So we can meet them." Avalon took a deep breath, then looked up where her friends still circling. They suddenly dived down towards the plaza. The landed next to Avalon and Edelweiss dismounted.

"These are my friends," said Avalon. "Eider, Black Widow, Edelweiss, our new friend Hurricane, and my brother Apollo."

"Nice to meet you all," said Mala. "You say you're a princess, Avalon."

"That I am," said Avalon. "Destained to be queen one day." Then she cleared her throat, and shook herself. "Can we explore this place?"

"Be our guests," said Mala. Avalon turned to her friends.

"Let's go meet the Eruptadon," she said in dragontongue. Edelweiss got back on Black Widow and they took off.

They walked through the trees, up towards the volcano. They relaxed as they lost sight of the village.

"That's better," said Black Widow.

"I think we're okay guys," said Avalon. "I mean how much trouble can we be here?"

"On the slope of a volcano?" Apollo pointed out. He slumped his wings. "I don't want to be locked up again."

"It's not going to happen," Avalon said nobly. "Every time we come to a human settlement, we'll do what we just did. I'll land first while you guys circle overhead and cover me. If it's safe, I'll call you guys down. If it's not safe, we'll bail."

"That's a good plan," said Eider. "And if the humans capture you, we'll attack." Avalon smiled.

"Even this Berk place?" Hurricane asked. "Hiccup seems perfectly safe."

"I'm not scared of Hiccup," said Avalon. "The guy's a big softy towards dragons, it's the rest of his village that worries me. They get annoyed when we play or sing around their village." She shook herself again. "Now, let's go meet the Eruptadon." She led the way towards the volcano. As they walked Avalon suddenly heard the bushes rustle. She paused to listen and sniff the air.

"What's wrong?" Black Widow asked.

"I get the feeling we're being watched," said Avalon. "And followed." She spread her wings and took off. The others followed and they flew the rest of the way to the Eruptadon's cave.

They landed outside the cave. They could already feel the heat from the magma.

"What's the Eurptadon's name again?" Eider asked.

"Igneous I think," said Black Widow. "Wow the heat's reminding me of Draconia."

"Me too," said Edelweiss. "You think it's safe to go in there?"

"It is, as long as we don't go in too far," said Avalon. "We can cool off in the water later." She lead the way into the cave and they looked for the Eruptadon. It didn't take long before she came to see who was visiting her. She was delighted to see the group of friends.

"Hello Igneous," said Avalon.

"Hello young dragons," said Igneous. "And please call me Ig. What brings you to my volcano?"

"I'm Princess Avalon," said Avalon. "And these are my friends. Our family is here with Hiccup visiting Mala and Dagur."

"Princess eh?" Ig said, interested. "Very interesting. I love your collar and wristbands by the way."

"Thank you," said Avalon.

"Who are your friends?" Ig asked.

"Eider, Black Widow, her rider Edelweiss, my brother Apollo, and our new friends Hurricane," said Avalon. Ig looked down at Edel.

"A human," she said.

"I'm a dragonborn," said Edelweiss. She briefly made her scales and dragon eyes appear.

"Oooh, dragonborn," said Ig. Edelweiss made her scales and dragon eyes vanish again.

"You guys look like a very special group of dragons," said Ig. "How do you like the island so far?"

"It's lovely," said Avalon. "And Mala seems really nice." She suddenly coughed on the smoke from the magma. "Is there a lake or somewhere we can cool off?"

"Yeah, near the village," said Ig. "It's a bit warm from the magma, but it'll feel so good on your scales."

"Thanks Ig," said Avalon. "We'll come back later."

"Please, don't be strangers," said Ig. She headed back into her volcano.

The dragonets took off and headed for the lake they could see near the village. Avalon spotted the trees rustling again below. She growled in suspicion. The others glanced down, but saw nothing. Black Widow narrowed her red eyes. She sent a sonar signal into the trees.

"There's someone down there," she said. "Just one."

"Where specifically?" Avalon asked. Black Widow sent another signal. She also kept her ears open. Suddenly her eyes went wide.

"They're coming this way," she said. The dragons all circled the area, ready. Suddenly a maroon and yellow Triple Stryke burst out of the trees with someone on his back. He flew right into the middle of their ring. On his back was a girl younger than Edelweiss, she had strawberry blond hair that went to her shoulders. She wore the same black leather uniform as the other Defenders, but with gold trim and a gold Triple Stryke medallion on her belt. She had a very smug look on her face.

"Who are you?" Avalon asked. "And why are you following us?"

"I don't have to explain why to you commoners," the girl said. "My name is Princess Dala the Demanding, daughter of Queen Mala and King Dagur. This is Sleuther." She patted the Stryke.

"Hi Sleuther," Avalon said quietly.

"Hey young ones," said Sleuther.

"Doesn't Dagur ride that dragon?" Eider asked. Dala folded her arms and glared at them.

"Father lets me ride him," she said. She pointed at Edelweiss. "I bet your father doesn't ride a dragon as fine as this."

"My dad rides a Night Fury," said Edel. "A titan wing Night Fury, named Windwalker." Dala glared at her. She then spotted Avalon's wristbands.

"Those wrist things," she said. "I want them. Sell them to me, and that collar too." Avalon looked down at her wristbands.

"They're mine," she said sternly. "And they are not for sale." Dala glared harder.

"What's your name commoner?" She hissed.

"I'm Princess Avalon, daughter of King Re and Queen Aurora," said Avalon. "These are my friends." The other dragons growled a greeting.

"There's only room for one princess on this island," Dala snapped.

"Why are we bothering with this?" Apollo asked. "I thought we were going to the lake."

"We are," said Avalon. "Let get going." They broke their circle and haded towards the lake. However Dala steered Sleuther around to block them, still glaring.

"I didn't give you permission to leave," she snapped. "You're on my island, you have to do what I say."

"Don't you have your own dragon?" Black Widow asked.

"I will have my own dragon," Dala shouted. "One day. Right now I just ride Sleuther, and Windshear when she comes."

"She's not allowed her own dragon," Sleuther explained quickly. "She's kind of abusive. I'm just keeping her out of trouble, Windshear always bucks her off."

"Oh dear," said Black Widow. Avalon glared back at Dala.

"What do you want Dala?" She said firmly.

"I want you to give me your bracelets," demanded Dala. "Give them to me now, and that black dragon. She'll be my riding dragon." She pointed at Black Widow.

"Black Widow's my dragon," said Edelweiss, patting Black Widow on the neck.

"And besides, we don't take orders from brats," said Avalon. Everyone laughed including Sleuther. Avalon lead her friends under the Stryke and towards the lake. Dala tried to chase after them, but Sleuther suddenly dived back into the trees with Dala screaming in protest.

"Thanks Sleuther," Avalon called after him. They sped towards the lake and landed on its shores. She was just about to reach the village when she stepped on something metal

They folded their wings made themselves comfortable on a group of boulders. Edelweiss dismounted and sat on a very flat boulder. Black Widow sat behind her and wrapped her tail around her rider.

"Wow, what character," said Apollo, laughing. "Thinking she can boss us around."

"Yeah," said Edelweiss. "She must be crazy to think she can take my Black Widow from me." She patted Black Widow's neck.

"She'll never succeed," said Black Widow, nibbling Edel's cheek. "That was pretty awesome what you said Avalon. We don't take orders from brats. Very snappy."

"Thanks," said Avalon. "Now lets go swimming." She got up and ran to the water's edge. She waded into the water up to her wings. "Oh, this feels nice. Come in guys, it's marvelous." The others followed. The water was very warm. Avalon heated it up slightly with her jade flames. "Do you think we can spend the night here?" Black Widow asked. "I kind of want to."

"Me too," said Apollo.

"I'll go ask our parents," Black Widow volunteered. "Be right back." She ran off into the bushes, not really feeling the need to fly. She wandered through the trees with a spring in her step. She was just about to reach the village when she stepped on something metal. She looked down to see what looked like a large, metal spider web sprawled out on the ground. Before she could do anything, she was snapped up by the trap. She now found herself dangling over the ground, not able to move. She wiggled but to no avail.

The rest of the group laid down in the shallow water. Avalon basked in the sun with her wings spread out wide and her wristbands glittered in the sunlight. She closed her eyes. Suddenly she heard someone approaching, trying to be sneaky. She could read the individual's mind. I was Dala, attempting to steal her wristbands. Avalon smirked and pretended not to noticed. Dala grabbed the wristbands, and it was followed by a loud sizzling sound. Dala screamed in pain as though she'd grabbed a sword fresh out of the fire. Avalon sat up and smirked. Dala was running back into the woods.

"And let that be a lesson to you!" Avalon called after her. She laid back down feeling so proud of herself.

Dala ran though the woods, her hands still burned. She was furious with the dragon princess, Dala didn't know what she did to make her wristbands burn. She made up her mind to get revenge on Avalon. Suddenly she spotted Black Widow in the netter trap she'd set. This boosted her spirits some.

"Well at least I got one of my prizes," she said. She pulled out a knife and cut the trap down. She then threw two bolas at the dragon, binding her wings and mouth. "You're my dragon now." Black Widow glared at her, but couldn't attack. Dala grabbed the reins and pulled on them to get Black Widow on her feet. The dragon pulled back. Dala ran forward and jumped onto the dragon's saddle. She held on for dear life as Black Widow bucked around wildly, and slamming into trees. She managed to claw the bola off her mouth, but her wings were still bound tight. She tried to get them off, while still trying to shove Dala off her back. However, nothing she tried worked. She had to stop to catch her breath. Dala smirked and kept the reins tight. She pulled her knife back out and cut the ropes off Black Widow's wings. This was what Black Widow had been hoping for. She spread her wings and rocketed into the sky at high speed. Dala hung on as Black Widow flew as erratically as she could. She did every move her father had taught her, spinning, flipping, and diving. She let out a loud roar.

It was being watched by both the dragonets and the adults in the village. Windwalker looked every concerned.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Looks like Black Widow's trying to get someone off her back," said Tenor. "I recognize those move anywhere."

"Who's riding her?" Re asked. Both Dagur and Mala looked embarrassed.

"It's our daughter, Dala," said Dagur. "She's been wanting her own dragon for a while."

"But she doesn't treat them very nicely," Mala continued. Windwalker looked back up at Black Widow.

"You should do something Tenor," she said, panicking.

"I already did," Tenor said calmly. "Watch." They all looked up at Black Widow.

She leveled out to come up with another idea. The village caught her eyes. She could see her parents below. She remembered one last trick Tenor had taught her.

"Daddy, this better work," she whispered. She shot up as high as she could over the village. She then went very still and let gravity pull her back towards the ground. Dala screamed and tried to get Black Widow moving, but ended up falling out of the saddle.

"Yes!" Black Widow cried as she sprang back to life. She righted herself and flew towards Dala. She grabbed her leg in her talons and flew down towards the village. She reached the plaza and dropped Dala safely onto the ground, and hovered overhead.

"Nicely done Black Widow," Tenor said happily, Black Widow beamed with pride. Windwalker looked at him.

"You taught her that?" She asked.

"I did," Tenor said. "It works every time." Dagur hauled Dala to her feet. She was very winded, but not hurt.

"What is the meaning of this Dala?" Dagur demanded, with his arms folded.

"That's the dragon I want," Dala said. Black Widow landed and went stand between her parents and Toothless.

"Are you okay Black Widow?" Windwalker asked.

"Yes Mother," said Black Widow. "I just got a few rope burns, nothing too bad." She looked over at Toothless. "Was this what it was like when Dagur was after you."

"Everyone's been after me," Toothless said. "But yes it was. Only much worse." At that moment the other dragonets landed in the plaza. Edelweiss dismounted off Eider. Black Widow hurried over to her rider. Edelweiss hugged her. They both caught Dala glaring at them.

"Why does that peasant get her own dragon?" She spat. "She's below me, and she has five dragons."

"Because she's earned their trust," Mala said sternly. "You treat dragons cruelly. You can have your own dragon, when you train one for yourself." Dala scowled she pulled a glove out of her pocket. She stormed up to Edelweiss and threw the glove at her feet with a loud snap.

"I challenge you for that dragon!" She said as loud as she could. Edelweiss and Black Widow exchanged a glance. Dala put her hands on her hips, and tapped her toes. Then to everyone's shock, Edelweiss picked up the glove and clutched it in her fist. But before she could say anything, Chris spoke up.

"No, Edelweiss will not be taking that challenge," he said firmly. Black Widow looked a bit relieved. Mala looked at him.

"You sure you want to refuse on her behalf?" She asked.

"Yes, I don't want Black Widow to be gambled," Chris said.

"But by refusing to fight, you dishonor yourself and you forfeit the dragon," said Mala. "Black Widow now has to stay with us." Chris narrowed his eyes.

"You would force this young dragon to be separated from her friends, and condemn her to a life of abuse?" He asked. Mala sighed.

"Dala would still have to earn the dragon's trust," she said. "But since you refuse to let Edelweiss accept the challenge, that means Dala wins and Black Widow has to stay here." Black Widow was looking very nervous. Tenor was the first to notice. "If you don't want Black Widow to remain with you, then you must accept the challenge," continued Mala. "Refuse, and she has to stay here."

"What if I don't want to stay here?" Black Widow asked.

"Too bad dragon," said Dala. "You're as good as mine." Black Widow sighed sadly.

"Mama?" She said, looking over at her mother. Windwalker looked at her then turned to Sleuther.

"So is this how Black Widow has to spend the rest of her life?" She asked. "Abused by Dala."

"I've had to carry Dala on my back a lot," said Sleuther. "I wouldn't wish it on anyone."

"Why can't Mala just let her go?" Windwalker asked.

"It's a Defender thing," said Sleuther. "Dala declared the challenge, and by refusing they loose." Windwalker growled.

"She's my only daughter," she said. "I can't leave her here to be abused."

"Black Widow won't be abused," said Sleuther. "And she's at the age where she must leave the nest."

"But not like this," said Windwalker. "She deserves to make her own choices, and be free. What if she escapes?"

"That's the harder part," said Sleuther. "Black Widow will have to be kept under supervision so she can't escape, until the challenge is won." Windwalker growled.

"You won't help her?" She asked.

"If I help her escape, it'll only make things worse," said Sleuther. "But if she stays with me, I can keep her safe from abuse."

Black Widow watched her mother arguing with the Triple Stryke, and from the sound of it, they were also arguing about her. Black Widow was feeling the pressure. Avalon came up beside her.

"Lets go back to the lake," she said quietly. "Get you away from all this."

"Good idea," said Black Widow, fighting back tears. They were about to leave the plaza when Throck stepped in front of their path.

"Unfortunately the young dragon must be under constant supervision until the fight it won," he said. "She cannot be allowed to leave the island." He turned to Sleuther. "Triple Stryke, will you take Black Widow to your quarters?" Sleuther cut off his conversation with Windwalker.

"Sorry Windwalker," he said. "I'll keep her safe from abuse." He headed over to the dragonets. He gently nudged Black Widow, making her move. "You'll be quite comfortable in my stable, and you'll have plenty of food."

"What about us?" Avalon asked.

"You guys go to the lake for now," said Sleuther. "I'll let you visit later. But for right now, I'll just show her to where she'll be staying." Black Widow froze.

"No, not my friends," she cried. "I want to stay with them. Please, let me go." She fought to get around Sluther and back to her friends.

"It'll be okay young one," said Sluther. He shoved a little harder. Black Widow panicked.

"No! Mama! Guys!" She cried. "Help." Sluther was suddenly tackled to the ground by Windwalker. Black Widow quickly got out of the way. Sleuther, who had fought just about every dragon in the archipelago, was able to hold his own against Windwalker. She dodged his three tails, and blasted the Triple Stryke.

"Yay Mother!" Black Widow exclaimed. But suddenly Sleuther managed to slam Windwalker into the pedestal that held the Eruptadon statue, and knock her out. Black Widow was about to rush to her mother's side but Throck came up to her, pinched her weak spot and she fell to the ground asleep.

She woke up sometime later. She used her sense of smell to get her bearings. She could smell fish, wood, and leather. She was laying on a bed of leather and chicken feathers. She opened her eyes and sat up. She was now inside a large stable. The door to it was wide open, and Black Widow could see the sky and ocean. She jumped to her feet and rushed towards the door. However, she got to the middle of the room when she felt the tug of a chain and she could go no farther. She turned to see a long dragon proof chain, attached to a dragon proof harness wrapped in leather, and secured around Black Widow's torso. She was stripped of her saddle and reins. Black Widow's heart sank.

"No," she said sadly. "Mama!" She pulled and struggled to break free.

"You need to stop doing that," said a voice. "You'll hurt yourself." Black Widow turned to see Sleuther laying casually on a golden platform, with a large leather cushion on top of it. Black Widow stopped fighting, but stared longingly at the open sky.

"Where are my friends?" Shea asked.

"They're at the lake," said Sleuther. "They'll come later." Black Widow looked back outside.

"Help!" She called at the top of her lungs. "Someone help! Please, I want to go home!" She shot a few plasma blasts in hopes of attracting someone.

"Black Widow, you need to settle down," said Sleuther. "Escaping will only make things worse for you. I assume you don't want to be hunted down." Black Widow fought back tears.

"This is my life really?" She said. "Kept in the dark, not able to play with my friends, go running with Daddy, sparring with Mother, hunting, fishing, exploring. Do I have to live the rest of my life alone, and chained up?"

"There's still hope," said Sleuther. "The challenge will take place in about a week and a half. Chris might win. But if Mala wins, she might set you free. I mean the last thing Mala wants to do is make a dragon unhappy. You just have to hold on for a little while, trust me."

"Well I don't," said Black Widow angrily. "After what you did to Mother." She glared at him.

"What was I supposed to do, she attacked me," said Sleuther. "I mean I get she was just trying to protect you, and I tried to defeat her in the most painless way possible. Don't worry I didn't hurt her too bad." Black Widow sighed and gave up. She crawled back onto the leather bed and slumped down.

"I want to go home," she whined. "I don't want to be prisoner." She hid her head under her wing and curled herself into a ball. Sleuther just watched her.

Black Widow didn't move all day and all night. When Throck came with food, she refused. The other dragonets came to keep her company and it cheered her up.

"I'm so sorry Black Widow," said Edelweiss. "I shouldn't have picked up that glove."

"It wasn't your fault Edel," said Black Widow. "Even if you hadn't picked it up, I probably would still have ended up here." She put her head down with a sigh. Avalon looked over at Seuther.

"Does she have to be chained up," she asked. "Dragons don't do well in captivity, especially young ones."

"For now yes," said Sleuther. "They don't want her escaping." Avalon looked at the chain securing her friend to the wall. She considered cutting the chains with magic, and enchanting her friends so that they were unable to be chained up every again.

"I need to see Mother about something," she said. She got up and stretched her wings.

"It's almost dark," said Sleuther. "You should all head to bed soon."

"Can't we sleep in here?" Apollo asked. "So Black Widow won't be so lonely."

"Not tonight," said Sleuther. "I'm not yet accustomed to having so many dragons in my stables." The Draconians exchanged a glance.

"Just go guys," said Black Widow. "I'll see you tomorrow." She curled back into a ball. Her friends reluctantly spread their wings and took off.

Avalon and Apollo found their parents sheltering under a large tree. They landed beside the tree and folded their wings.

"How's Black Widow?" Re asked.

"She's very unhappy," said Avalon. "Mother, I wonder if I can put an enchantment on my friends and myself so we can't ever be chained up again. So that we won't ever have to suffer what we suffered on Berk and what Black Widow is suffering now." Aurora considered.

"That sounds like it could work," she said. "I like the intention behind it. You guys were locked up at such a young age, I get that you're afraid. All right, if you can get it to work you may do it."

"Be sure to add cages to that," said Apollo. Avalon nodded and laid down on the grass. Apollo laid next to her and they fell asleep.

The next couple of days went by. Both Chris and Mala used the time to train for the challenge. Black Widow had to stay in the stables under Sleuther's supervision. She was always quiet and still. She sometimes paced, but the rest of the time she slept. Whenever some one came with food, she would refuse to eat it, and her body was starting to show it. Her bones were showing under her scales. Her tail and wings drooped sadly, the scales around her mouth and nose were turning grey, her red eyes were blood shot, and many of her black scales had fallen out. Sleuther was getting worried that she wouldn't survive.

When Throck came in with a basket of fish and sageroot he put it between the two dragons then left. Sleuther tipped the basket over and picked up the largest tuna. He tossed it Black Widow, but again she just looked at it then blocked her view with her tail.

"Come on Black Widow, please eat something," Sleuther said. "You'll die if you don't."

"There are worse things then death," said Black Widow.

"How about loosing a friend?" Sleuther asked. "I'm sure none of your friends want to loose you." Black Widow considered.

"They already have," she said. She curled up again, refusing to eat the tuna. Suddenly she heard a dragon land outside. Sleuther got up to see who it was. Black Widow heard him speak.

"What can I do for you?" Sleuther asked.

"I've come to visit your prisoner," said the other dragon. Black Widow sat up at the sound of that voice. Tenor was standing in the doorway. He looked so calm, but worried.

"She's not a prisoner," said Sleuther.

"So I can see her?" Tenor asked.

"You may, but she's not doing so well," said Sleuther. "She refuses to eat."

"Well of course she's refusing to eat," said Tenor raising his voice. "She's in bondage. A dragon would rather starve to death then be trapped. She won't eat again until she's released." He walked around the Triple Stryke and over to Black Widow, who got up.

"Daddy," she said happily. Tenor nuzzled her and she rested her head on his chest. His scales were so warm and so comforting. "Where's Mother?"

"She's still recovering from a nasty, and very unattractive bump on the head," Tenor said, glaring at Sleuther.

"I know, I'm the bad guy," Sleuther said bitterly. "I really wasn't trying to hurt her."

"Yeah, well, she's still really pissed at you," said Tenor. "Not for attacking her, but for pushing Black Widow away from us." He laid down beside Black Widow.

"I'll leave you two alone," Sleuther muttered. He spread his wings and flew outside. Black Widow leaned her head on Tenor's shoulder and wormed closer to him. Tenor wrapped his wing around her.

"Is Mother all right?" She asked.

"Yeah, she's got a concussion, but she'll be fine," said Tenor. Then he whispered in her ear. "I'm going to sneak you out of this stable, and over to the healer's hut. Serenity and Windwalker are in there. As long as you promise to stay with us."

"I will," said Black Widow. "I promise." She nuzzled his neck.

"Good," said Tenor. "I'll go see if the cost is clear." He got up and went outside. "Eat that fish, you look horrible." Black Widow finally ate the tuna. She was finished when Tenor came back to her. He pulled out a bottle of Changewing acid.

"I knew you'd save me," Black Widow said. Tenor smiled at her.

"Hold still," he said. "I'll have you out of here in a second." He carefully poured a small amount of the acid onto the metal harness. There was a loud sizzle and the harness broke. Black Widow shook herself, happy to be free at last. Tenor tossed the harness away.

"Let's go, quickly," he said. He lead the way out of the stable.

They headed for the healers hut, luckily they weren't spotted. Black Widow was feeling a bit week from being cooped up for so long. But she stayed on her father's heals. Soon they reached the hut and Tenor hurried Black Widow inside, before following. Black Widow spotted her mother at once. She hurried over. Windwalker had a white bandage around her head that was securing an ice pack.

"Mother," she said. Windwalker opened her eyes.

"Black Widow, you're here," she said, with a happy sigh. Then she saw the dragonet's condition. "Oh, you look horrible."

"I'm okay now Mother," said Black Widow. "Daddy broke me out." Tenor beamed with pride. Black Widow laid down beside her mother and Windwalker nuzzled her. "Thank you, for what you did. I'm sorry you got hurt."

"It's okay," said Windwalker. Tenor laid down on Black Widow's other side. Black Widow smiled. Her mother was her hero, and her father was her rock. She was so much happier here than in the stables.

"I love you guys," she said. "Maybe one day I'll save you guys from something." Tenor scoffed.

"I've never had to be rescued from anything," he said. Black Widow smiled at him.

"What would you say is your secret to never getting captured?" She asked. Tenor considered.

"I'd say my secret is, knowing when to fight and went to run," he said. "I'm not ashamed to run from a fight that I cannot win. I retreat and come up with a battle plan. You might have to rescue Windwalker from something though." He smirked.

"Oh you!" Windwalker hissed. She sat up to glare at him, but she sat up too fast and it made her head throb. "Ooooh, me head." Black Widow crooned with concern. Windwalker put her head slowly back down.

"You need me to get Serenity?" Black Widow asked.

"No, I'm feeling better now," said Windwalker. "Tenor, why don't you take Black Widow for a walk. She looks like she could use some sun." She closed her eyes.

"Good idea," said Tenor. He got to his feet. "Let's walk to the lake, and find you some food."

"All right," said Black Widow.

"Just don't leave my sight," said Tenor. Black Widow nodded.

They left the healer's hut and walked through the village, to the shoreline. Tenor caught several fish for Black Widow. She ate it all, and it helped make her feel better. She was half way though when Sleuther hovered overhead.

"You took her behind my back?" Sleuther asked.

"I simply took back what it mine," Tenor said calmly. "You said she wasn't a prisoner." Black Widow smiled gratefully at him. "I was not going to leave her there to starve. I'll keep her with me at until the fight it won." Sleuther glared, and flew off. Black Widow finished the fish and felt much stronger.

"Thanks Daddy," she said. Tenor smiled at her.

"Let's get to the lake," he said. "Your friends are waiting there."

They headed up to the lake, Black Widow pranced the whole way. Tenor admired how big and beautiful she was getting. She was slimmer than he was, and her scales looked blacker and shinier, and her tail was very slender. Her face was prettier too. Black Widow noticed him.

"What are you looking at?" She asked.

"How beautiful you've gotten," Tenor said. Black Widow blushed under her black scales.

"Well, I came from the most handsome father in the world," she cooed. "Race you to the lake." And she took off running. Tenor ran to catch up.

They raced through the woods towards the lake. They were neck and neck when the lake came into view. Black Widow burst of speed and reached the shore of the lake just seconds before Tenor. She turned to face him.

"You're getting slower," she said. Tenor suddenly looked sad.

"I don't have much of a competitive side," he said. "Not since I was a dragonet myself. I get all my thrills from hunting and fighting bad guys." He looked over to where the other young dragons were lounging about. Sunlight gleamed off Avalon's wristbands. Black Widow ran over to them.

"Hey guys!" She cried.

"Black Widow, you're out!" Avalon exclaimed.

"Yeah, Daddy got me out of there," said Black Widow. Edelweiss hugged her.

"Thanks Tenor," said Avalon. Tenor just shrugged modestly.

"Where's your saddle?" Edel asked.

"They took it," said Black Widow. "I don't know where it is."

"I do," said Tenor. "I'll get it. Don't go anywhere." He spread his wings and took off. Black Widow sat among her friends, and Edel sat next to her. She stroked her dragon's neck.

"If I every get out of here, I'll never come back here," Black Widow said. She suddenly noticed Avalon with a pen and paper. There were several lines on the paper, all scribbled out. "What are you doing Avalon?"

"I'm coming up with a spell that will make us unable to be chained or caged," said Avalon. "I just have to figure out how to word it, so the spell will last."

"Good idea," said Black Widow. "Then we can play all we want, and the vikings of Berk won't be able to do a thing about it."

"True," said Avalon. "And no dragon hunters will be able to capture us." Suddenly the bushes rustled and they all jumped to their feet. Avalon stood in front, with her teeth bared. Dagur came out of the bushes, alone.

"You?" Avalon said, surprised. "What do you want?" Dagur looked around at them.

"Wow, you guys are really nervous aren't you?" He said.

"For good reason," said Avalon.

"Yeah but you guys were nervous before this all started," said Dagur. "Has Hiccup been making things hard for you on Berk?"

"No, Hiccup's been really nice to us," said Apollo. "It's the rest of his village. They say we sing too loud or our games get in their way."

"We chase their farm animals sometimes," said Eider. "And it's gotten us all locked up."

"So we stay away, to avoid causing any trouble," said Avalon. "I don't think there's a place in the human world for my friends and I."

"Oh, but you guys didn't cause the trouble this time," Dagur said. "Dala did. You guys don't need to be nervous." The dragons relaxed.

"Why are you here?" Avalon asked.

"I'm here to help you guys," said Dagur. "So you can fight better as a team, and I can help Avalon be a good leader of the team." Avalon smiled.

"Ah you're all right Dagur," she said. "We'll take every bit of advice you got."

They were rejoined by Tenor, with Serenity on his back. Black Widow's saddle was tied to the back of Tenor's saddle. They approached the group and came to a stop.

"Is Mother okay?" Black Widow asked.

"She's fine," Serenity said.

"Guys we have to fix this," Tenor said. "I don't want Black Widow to be stuck here against her will."

"I agree," said Dagur. "I want to help with that too. There could be an alternative."

"You live here Dagur," said Serenity. "Do you know of any loop holes that might be helpful?" Dagur considered.

"What if we made it so they can't fight?" Tenor asked. "Steel their weapons. Then they'll have to sort this out in a civilized way."

"Ah, they'll still find weapons," Dagur said. "There are plenty around to spare."

"We can run right between the fight and demand Mala let Black Widow go," said Apollo.

"And I'll come out and refuse to stay on this island," Black Widow said. Tenor beamed at that. Dagur looked thrilled with the idea.

"So simple, yet dramatic," he said, rubbing his chin.

"It sounds fun," said Avalon.

"Or, I could let them fight for a bit," Dagur said. "And if it seems like too equal a fight, I will fly in and declare it a draw and no one gets the dragon."

"Can you do that?" Avalon asked.

"I sure can," said Dagur, a bit louder. "Don't fear my young friends, Black Widow is as good as free." Just then Hiccup and Toothless flew over them.

"Mala moved the match to tonight, she wants everyone to gather at the arena," Hiccup said. Serenity looked down at Dagur.

"You can ride with me," she said. Dagur climbed onto Tenor's back behind her. Tenor took off and the dragonets followed. They followed Hiccup towards the arena.

A crowd had already gathered, Chris and Mala were already in the arena. Dala was sitting on a wooden throne set on a raised platform, next to other thrones. One with a Triple Stryke insignia and the other with an Eruptadon insignia. Re and Aurora were standing next to the platform. The Berkians were mixed in with the crowd. Windwalker was the only one not present.

Tenor and the dragonets circled high over the arena. Hiccup and Toothless joined his friends. They waited until the crowd hushed and Throck went into the middle of the arena.

"Challengers take your positions," he said. Chris appeared at one end and Mala appeared at the other, weapons drawn. "Bring the prize into the arena."

"Sir, the dragonet isn't in the stables," said one of the Defenders. "She's escaped." Black Widow swallowed hard.

"Go on down Black Widow," said Avalon. "We'll be down in a sec." Edelweiss transferred to Hurricane, then Black Widow flew down and landed beside Throck.

"I'm here," she said. "Daddy let me out, so I could get some exercise."

"Very well," said Throck. He threw a lasso around her neck. "Winner takes all. Let the fight commence." He lead Black Widow over to the platform and tied her to a post.

Chris and Mala ran at each other with their weapons drawn. They locked swords. Chris quickly learned that Mala had similar fighting moves. Every lung he made was blocked by her. They both stepped back to catch their breath.

"Wow, you're good," Mala said. "Where did you learn to fight?"

"Well some of it I learned from my parents," Chris said. "And the rest I learned after living in Asia for ten years."

"Perhaps you we can give each other pointers," Mala suggested. Chris smirked.

"I'll consider," he said. He locked his two swords at the hilts, creating a sword staff. They clashed blades again. They each managed to land several cuts on the other. Black Widow noticed that Re hissed in pain every time Chris got cut. The fight got more aggressive. Black Widow was so sure some one was going to get seriously hurt. No sooner had she thought that, then Mala stabbed Chris in the leg just as he stabbed her shoulder. Black Widow saw Re collapse to the ground, roaring in pain. Both opponents also collapsed. At that moment Tenor landed between them with Serneity and Dagur on his back. The dragonets landed in the arena. Apollo helped Mala to her feet, while Avalon helped Chris to his feet and let him lean on her.

"I am declaring this a draw," Dagur said. "So no one gets the dragon, and she's allowed to go free." Mala sighed.

"Sounds good to me," she said. "She should go free." Dagur pulled out a kniff and flung it at the rope binding Black Widow. It cut the rope and Black Widow bounded away from the post. She went over to stand beside Tenor. Dala jumped to her feet.

"But I want that dragon," she demanded.

"Too bad Dala," said Dagur, boldly. "The dragon goes free." Serenity looked over at Chris who was leaning on his sister, looking like he was about to pass out. Mala wasn't looking too great either.

"Now that that's settled," she said. "How about we get these two to the healers hut."

"Great idea," said Dagur. He untied Black Widow's saddle and reins from Tenor's saddle and handed them to Edelweiss. Then Apollo and Avalon helped haul Chris and Mala off towards the healers hut. The crowd disbursed. Edelweiss put Black Widow's saddle and reins back on her. She suddenly spotted Dala storming up to her out of the corner of her eyes. Edelweiss spun around and Dala punched her in the face. However, for Dala it was like punching a mountain due to Edelweiss being half dragon. Dala howled in pain and clutched her fist.

"Ow, what in the world?" She asked.

"I'm not that easy to take out," Edelweiss said. She stroked Black Widow's neck. "You want to go for a ride?" Dala looked at her a bit shocked.

"Go for a ride?" She asked. "With you?"

"Yeah," said Edelweiss. She mounted Black Widow. "We can fly around the island." Dala considered. Then she nodded and Edelweiss helped her onto the saddle behind her. Black Widow spread her wings and took off.

Dala hung on to Edelweiss as Black Widow carried them up over the volcano. Then she flew around the island, and over the village. The other dragonets joined her. Black Widow smiled, happy to be free.

"You okay back there?" Edelweiss asked Dala.

"Yeah," said Dala. "This is fun." Edelweiss exchanged a look with Avalon.

"Why don't you take the reins for a while," Edel said. And before Dala or Black Widow could object, Edelweiss jumped onto Hurricane's back. Dala quickly grabbed the reins and moved to the center of the saddle.

"But I thought I couldn't own this dragon," she said. "And you can't either."

"You're just riding her," said Edelweiss. "You don't own her, I don't own her. I don't own any of these dragons, they own me."

"Very interesting perspective," said Avalon.

"Well you are older then me," said Edelweiss. "And you're the future queen Avalon."

"That's true," said Avalon.

"How's Dad?" Edelweiss asked. "And Mala."

"They're fine," said Avalon. "Serenity will have already stitched them up by now. They were all talking about fighting moves and weapons. I think it was driving your mother crazy."

"I was impressed at how calm Mother was through all of this," Edelweiss said.

"Because she helped break it up," said Apollo. Avalon lead the group towards the lake. Dala tried controlling Black Widow with the reins, but Black Widow was able to resist.

"Don't fight her, let her do the flying," Edelweiss said. "You're her passenger, not her driver." Dala sighed and released the reins.

They reached the lake and landed on the shore. Black Widow landed smoothly. Edelweiss got off, but Dala stayed mounted.

"That was, very nice," she said slowly.

"It's sure nice to work with a dragon, and not against it," Edelweiss said.

"So Dala, I've noticed you have no friends here," Avalon said. "And that's the main reason you've been acting the way you have, and it's the reason you want your own dragon so bad." Dala said nothing, but got off Black Widow.

"Must get lonely for you," said Apollo.

"Yeah it does," Dala admitted. "Not a single person here that's my age. My parents don't really spend time with me since they have two islands to run."

"Two islands?" Eiders asked.

"This one and Berserker Island," said Avalon.

"Right," said Eider.

"You hang out with Sleuther," said Black Widow.

"Yeah, but he's more of a babysitter than a real friend," said Dala. "I don't think he's good with kids."

"We can be your friends," Eider said. "We'll be in this area all summer."

"There's so few our age too," said Avalon. "I think we young folks should stick together."

"Hmm, I like the sound of that," Dala said. "But I still don't have a dragon to ride when you guys go."

"Well you can ride Sleuther until we come back," said Avalon. "Then you can ride one of us. And who knows, maybe you're own dragon will come while we're away." Dala sighed.

"I'm sorry I caused you guys so much trouble," she said. "I was just jealous of you guys and how you got to stay together. It's one luxury I don't have."

"Well now you do," said Apollo. "And we accept your apology." Dala smiled.

"Can I keep riding Black Widow until you guys leave?" She asked. Everyone looked at Black Widow and Edelweiss.

"It's fine with me," Edel said.

"I suppose," said Black Widow. "Just go easy on the reins."

"Ok," said Dala. Then she looked at Avalon's wristbands and collar. "Those really do look nice."

"Thank you," said Avalon. "I can probably make you something. I want to learn make my own jewelry, and perhaps my own queen's crown."

"I'd like to go check on Mother," Black Widow said.

"All right," said Avalon. "And Dagur wants to help us fight better as a team, and help me be a better leader." Dala got back onto Black Widow and Edelweiss mounted Hurricane. They took off and headed for the village.

They landed in the plaza. Dala and Edelweiss got down. They headed for the healers hut. Tenor, Re, and Aurora were sitting outside talking. They looked up when Avalon and her group approached.

"You look like you made a new friend," Aurora said.

"We did," said Avalon. "Has anyone died yet?"

"No, everyone's on the mend," said Re, who sounded tired. "We'll be able to head back to the Edge in a day or so." At that moment Mala came out with her arm in bandages and in a sling.

"I made a new friend Mother," said Dala patting Black Widow on the neck. Mala turned to Avalon.

"You've made amens," she said.

"We have," said Avalon. "Dala said she has no friends her age here, and she doesn't have a group of friends like I do. So I told her she could hang with us until we return to Draconia."

"Thank you Princess Avalon," said Mala. "I can already tell you're going to make a great queen." Avalon blushed and coiled her tail bashfully.

"You're welcome," she said. "I kind of like this place now, it's not so bad anymore." She sheepishly raked her talons through the dirt.

"As long as I don't have to be chained in that stable, I'll come back," said Black Widow.

"No, that should never have happened," Mala said, stroking Black Widow's snout with her good hand. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. It won't happen again, I promise." Black Widow smiled.

"Can I see Mother now?" She asked. Mala stepped aside and Black Widow went in. The others stayed outside with Mala and the adult dragons. Avalon went back to her spell.

While Chris and Windwalker recovered, Dagur made good on his promise and showed Avalon and her team several group fighting moves. He and Dala watched from Sleuther's back. The dragonets found the fighting moves quite fun. One involved Edelweiss rapidly switching dragons while firing her arrows. It took her a while to master it, but she got it after several falls. Avalon felt very good about her team. She pulled up alongside Sleuther after a training session.

"What do you think Dagur?" She asked. "Does my team have a chance of surviving our first real battle?"

"Yes you do," said Dagur confidently. "You have a very good chance of not only surviving, but winning."

"Surviving is winning to us," said Avalon.

They finished up their training and headed down the plaza. Mala, the Draconians, and Berkians were waiting for them.

"Hey guys, were about ready to head back to the Edge," Hiccup said.

"Oh," said Avalon, disappointed.

"You feeling better Mother?" Black Widow asked.

"Yes, much better," said Windwalker.

"We really appreciate you all paying us a visit," said Mala, smiling. She looked over at Avalon. "I hope you and your friends will return." Avalon looked over her wing at her friends, who all nodded.

"Yes, we'll come back," she said.

The riders all mounted their dragons. Edelwiess mounted Black Widow. Dala came up to them.

"Thanks for being my friends," she said.

"You're welcome," said Avalon. "I'm glade we're leaving on a high note." Apollo stepped closer to her.

"You think she can join our group?" He asked in dragontongue.

"No, I draw the line at one human," said Avalon. "I'm looking for another dragon to join our group."

"All right," said Apollo. Avalon looked back at Dala.

"We look forward to coming back here," she said. "This was very fun." Dala suddenly threw her arms around Avalon, then around the other dragonets. She then ran back to her parents. The dragons all spread their wings and took off.

They broke into their respective formations. Edelweiss made her scales and dragon eyes reappear. Just then Hurricane pulled up alongside Avalon.

"I must return home to Mother," she said. "Before she comes looking for me."

"Ok, will you come back?" Avalon asked.

"Certainly," said Hurricane. "I'll tell Mother you guys, minus the human part."

"You should tell her the human part," said Avalon. "In case she wants to meet us. It's always better to be honest." Hurricane considered. "Just tell her that we own our humans."

"Perhaps you're right," Hurricane said. "Well, thanks for breaking me out of the amber." Avalon smiled and nodded. Hurricane then turned and headed in another direction.

"Where's she going?" Hiccup asked.

"Home," said Avalon. "To her mother. She'll come back though." Edelweiss patted Black Widow on the neck.

"I'm glad we still have you Black Widow," she said. Black Widow purred. "The team wouldn't be the same without you."

"Indeed," said Avalon. "Now lets get back to Dragons Edge and find those Night Terrors." They followed the others back towards the Edge.


	4. Chapter 4

**I apologize for delay. I got into a bad car crash and broke my left ankle. I'm doing better now though. I now have more time to write since I can't work and don't have a car to go anywhere.**

Chapter 4

Hiccup was sitting in his hut, looking over blueprints of some more buildings he wanted to put up on Berk. He was determined to create the perfect dragon-viking utopia. The village was going to have to be a lot bigger then it was now. Toothless was dozing off on his stone upstairs. Hiccup glanced out the opened door, and saw Avalon's group flying over the ocean. Hiccup admired how big and strong those young dragons were getting. Eider was already full grown, and the others weren't far behind. Even Edelweiss was growing into a beautiful young woman, just like her mother.

The dragonets soon landed near the hut. Hiccup could hear them talking, but couldn't hear what they were saying. Hiccup looked back down at his blueprints. He suddenly heard a dragon walking along on the porch outside, and Avalon walked passed. Hiccup caught her eye.

"Hello Hiccup," she said, pausing. "Hey Toothless." '

"Hey Avalon," said Hiccup.

"What are you doing?" Avalon asked.

"I'm just looking at ideas for Berk," Hiccup said. "I plan on turning it into a big dragon-viking utopia, so it need updates."

"Oh fascinating," said Avalon. "Well best of luck to you. I'll let you get back to it." She turned to leave. Hiccup suddenly thought of something.

"Hey Avalon, do you think you and your friends can carry full sized humans?" He asked. Avalon paused again. She turned around.

"I think so," she said. "Why?"

"Well, there may come a time when we have to go to battle and our dragons aren't available," said Hiccup. "And we might have to ride you guys. It's happened before." Avalon tilted her head.

"I see that your mind has gone back to the Battle of the Bewilderbeast," she said. "I'm sorry that battle ended in such tragedy."

"I appreciate that," said Hiccup.

"Anyway, you think your friends will have to ride us into battle?" Avalon asked.

"It's possible," said Hiccup. "I was hoping to have my group start training on you guys, so we all can get used to each other." Avalon considered.

"You know there are only four of us," she said. "I hope to get one more dragon on my team."

"We'll work something out," said Hiccup. "It's best we work this out now, rather then before a battle."

"I agree," said Avalon. "I'll talk this over with my friends."

"Absolutely," said Hiccup. "I'll talk to my friends too." Avalon nodded. She then entered the hut and looked at the blueprints.

"Those are some very serious updates," she said.

"You like them?" Hiccup asked.

"Sure," said Avalon. "Does this mean you'll use the rest of the island?"

"I think so," said Hiccup. "At least a little."

"That'll be fun," said Avalon. "You guys should totally spread out more. Dragons hate cramped and crowded spaces."

"I know, you guys have claustrophobia," Hiccup said. "Anyway, how about you go get your friends and meet us at the arena." Avalon smiled.

"See you in a sec," she said. She left the hut and took off again.

She joined her friends under Astrid's house. Edelweiss was putting her hair into a pair of french dragon tails. They all looked up when Avalon landed.

"Where did you go?" Eider asked.

"I was talking to Hiccup," said Avalon. "He wants his riders to train on us. Incase they have to fly into battle and their own dragons aren't available."

"But there are only four of us," said Black Widow. "And there's seven riders, eight including Edelweiss."

"Hiccup wants to work that out first thing," said Avalon. "He wants us to meet them at the arena. Let's just give it a try."

"All right," said Apollo. "I can kind of see Hiccup's point. I remember Mother talking about the Battle of the Bewilderbeast." Edelweiss finished braiding her hair, then mounted Black Widow.

"I like your hair that way Edel," Avalon said. "You should have that be your signature look."

"Thanks Avalon," said Edelweiss. The dragon spread their wings and took off.

The Berkian riders were already waiting in the arena when the dragonets landed. Edelweiss dismounted. Toothless and his friends were lounging around nearby.

"Thanks for coming Avalon," said Hiccup.

"Um, how are we going to fit everyone one those four dragons?" Astrid asked.

"We may have to double up," said Hiccup.

"I want to ride with Eret," said Ruffnut loudly, gluing herself to Eret's side. Eret gagged. Hiccup took a deep breath.

"I'll assign partners," he said. "And once partners are selected, you'll be able to choose the dragon you want to ride." He considered.

"Ruff, I'm putting you with Tuff," he said. Both twins scowled. "Fishlegs, you go with Snotlout."

"Uh, Hiccup how about I go with Ruffnut and Snotlout go with Tuffnut," Fishlegs suggested.

"No, I'll go with Ruffnut and Tuffnut can go with Fishface," said Snotlout.

"Or I can put Snotlout with Astrid," Hiccup threatened. Astrid sneered at Snotlout, making him nervous.

"On second thought, Fishlegs is fine," he said quickly.

"Okay, and Astrid why don't you pair up with Eret," said Hiccup.

"Fine by me Hiccup," said Eret.

"Yeah, I can work with that," said Astrid. "And we'll take Black Widow." She and Eret went over to Black Widow.

"We want the red dragon," said Ruffnut, pulling Tuffnut over to Apollo.

"We'll take Eider, he's the biggest," said Snotlout. He and Fishlegs went to stand beside Eider. Hiccup looked over at Avalon.

"I guess I'm riding you," he said. Avalon gave a small smile.

"What about me?" Edelweiss asked. Hiccup looked over at her, then at all the dragons. There wasn't a dragon left for her to ride, and there wasn't a whole lot of room left on Avalon's small back.

"Why don't you keep their dragons company," Avalon suggested. "I'm sure they'll like that." Edelweiss looked over at the Berkian dragons. She looked sad. "Don't worry, you will have a dragon to ride if we ever go into battle. I promise."

"All right," said Edelweiss. "If that's okay with you Black Widow."

"Of course," said Black Widow. Edelweiss went over and stood beside Toothless. She watched as Hiccup turned back to the riders.

"Okay, lets mount up," he said. "And we'll go for a short flight around the island. Then we'll go from there." Toothless noticed the pouting expression on Edelweiss's face.

"You can ride me if you want," he suggested. "So you won't be left out." Edelweiss looked him up and down. She then called to Hiccup.

"Hey Hiccup, can I follow you guys on Toothless?" She asked. Hiccup smiled.

"Yes you may," he said. Edelweiss lightened up and climbed onto Toothless's back. They went back into the arena. Toothless stood beside Avalon.

"You sure you can handle him?" Astrid asked. "He can be pretty powerful."

"I've ridden Windwalker several times," said Edelweiss. "And she's bigger than Toothless."

"Okay, let's go then," said Hiccup. The dragons spread their wings and took off. Edelweiss clicked the stirrup and Toothless followed.

They flew up to the top of the volcano and circled it. The dragonets were nervous at first, but relaxed after a while and flew normally. Edelweiss flew Toothless along side them, staying out of their way. They flew back down towards the outpost and hovered over it. Toothless landed next to the arena where the other Berkian dragons were waiting.

"Not bad guys," said Hiccup. "Are you dragons feeling okay?"

"We are," said Black Widow. "These humans are a lot heavier then Edelweiss."

"You'll get used to it," said Hiccup. "We're going to spend the next week or so training with you guys."

"That'll be fun," said Avalon. "I'm sure you don't mind Edelweiss riding your dragons during all this."

"No, it's only fair," said Hiccup. He clicked the reins and they headed out over the ocean to continue training.

Edelweiss watched them from Toothless's saddle. The other dragons were dozing off, taking full advantage of their riders being distracted.

"Looks like I'll be riding you for a while Toothless," Edelweiss said.

"I hope you don't mind," Toothless said. "I'm kind of liking it."

"Me too," said Edelweiss. She patted him on the head.

"It's probably a good thing too," he said. "Hiccup might get himself in trouble one day, and I'll have to go save him."

"I heard Hiccup once gave you a tail fin that let you fly without him," Edelweiss said.

"He did," said Toothless. "And I used it, then I smashed it."

"Why?" Edelweiss asked. "It sounds like a nice present."

"It was a nice present," Toothless said. "But there is nothing out there for me. Berk's been my first real home, and Hiccup's been my first real friend. I don't want to leave it, this is my life."

"But you're an alpha now," said Edelweiss. "Your life has changed."

"That's true," said Toothless. "But it doesn't change the fact that Berk is home and Hiccup is my friend."

"I respect that," said Edelweiss. "But who knows, maybe you'll find a nice girl one day." Toothless snorted.

"I don't have a chance," he said. "Night Furies are too rare, and no girl will take me with one tail fin."

"That's what Tenor said," Edelweiss said. "He said he had no chance with him being a hybrid, and now he has a family of his own. I bet Lord Draco has someone really special in mind for you, and I'll bet she'll be really cute." Toothless smiled. Edelweiss patted his neck.

"You think so?" He asked.

"You're an alpha, and you're adorable," said Edelweiss. "Girls like adorable things."

"All girls?" Toothless asked. "Or just you?" Edelweiss shrugged. Toothless then shook himself. "Lets go find the others, I'm getting tired of just standing here."

"All right," said Edelweiss. Toothless turned and walked off.

They walked through the outpost. They soon found Re, Aurora, Tenor, and Windwalker talking with Valka. They turned and looked up when Toothless joined them.

"I thought you'd be off training with your friends," Valka said. Edelweiss looked sad.

"No spare dragon for me to ride," she said. "So I'm riding Toothless until they're done."

"That'll be tricky if you guys go into battle," Re said. "You'll be left out." Edelweiss shrugged.

"Avalon plans to get another dragon on her team," she said. "And I hope soon."

"Well, we're about to go flying if you want to join us," said Aurora. "We can check on those guys." Toothless looked over his wing at Edelweiss.

"Where are my parents?" She asked.

"They went swimming," said Aurora. "You can catch up with them later."

"Okay," said Edelweiss.

Valka got on Cloudjumper and they all took off. Edelweiss controlled Toothless's tailfin and managed to keep up with the others. She could see her friends in the distance. They seemed to be having fun. She then spotted Valka standing on Cloudjumper's back.

"That looks very uncomfortable," she said.

"Oh, I've been doing it for years now," said Valka. "It's not as uncomfortable as it looks."

"And you feel the same way Cloudjumper?" Edelweiss asked. Cloudjumper smiled.

Yeah," he said. "I have very hard scales, I don't feel a thing."

"Fascinating," said Edelweiss. She steered Toothless underneath Cloudjumper and scratched his chin.

"And might I say, I like your hair like that," said Valka.

"Thank you," said Edelweiss.

"Why don't you go check on your friends," Aurora said. "Give that Night Fury a good run, we'll meet you down there." Edelweiss took a deep breath.

"Okay," she said.

"Hang on," Toothless said. He paused, then tucked his wings in and went for a dive. Edelweiss clutched the saddle as they sped towards the group. The Night Fury whistle filled the air. When they reached the group Toothless stopped abruptly.

"Wow, Astrid was right, you are powerful," Edelweiss said, a bit stunned.

"I think Windwalker was taking it easy on you," Toothless said.

"Perhaps," said Edelweiss. "I'm okay though." Toothless took off again, circled the group, then hovered beside Avalon.

"Hi Edelweiss," said Hiccup. "How's Toothless treating you?"

"He's okay," said Edelweiss, patting Toothless on the head. "He's really fast."

"And that wasn't even my top speed," said Toothless.

"That's a lot of dragon for a little girl," said Snotlout. Edelweiss folded her arms and glared, her dragon eyes blazing. Just then Re, Aurora, Tenor, Windwalker, and Valka caught up to them.

"Are things going swimmingly?" Aurora asked.

"Yeah, these young dragons are real troopers," said Astrid. "But the haven't said much." Aurora looked at her dragonets.

"Are you guys okay?" She asked.

"We're fine Mother," said Avalon. "We just don't want to waste time talking."

"How about we call it a day," said Hiccup. "We'll get an early start tomorrow."

"I can look after your guys' dragons in the meantime," Edelweiss offered. "It'll give me something to do."

"You don't have to do that," said Astrid.

"I want to," said Edelweiss. "So I'm not sitting around bored all day."

"Okay, then you should know Stormfly loves chicken," said Astrid.

"Don't give Meatlug any limestone, felts part, or bauxite," said Fishlegs.

"I don't even know what those are," said Edelweiss. "I only know sandstone, granite, pumice, marble, and lavastone."

"Those are good," said Fishlegs. Edelweiss pulled out a small pencil and paper, and wrote everything down.

"Hookfang likes tuna or salmon," said Snotlout.

"Barf likes mackerel," said Ruffnut.

"Belch likes haddock," said Tuffnut. Edelwiess scribbled away.

"Skullcrusher isn't picky," said Eret. "But he seems to like boar meat the best."

"What about you Toothless?" Edelweiss asked.

"I like cod," Toothless said. Edelweiss wrote it down.

Then they all landed on the runway and everyone dismounted. The dragonets shook themselves. Avalon yawned.

"You guys did good today," said Hiccup. "It'll be tough for you the next little while. But do the best you can, and we'll go on a little field trip to Dramilion Island and Dark Deep."

"Oooh, that does sound fun," said Avalon, cheering up a bit.

"You guys are in for a treat," said Fishlegs excitedly. "Dark Deep the ancestral home of all Boulder Class dragons."

"We know," said all the dragonets in unison. Fishlegs looked surprised.

"How come you guys know about it already?" He asked.

"It's in our old history books and atlases," said Apollo. "They talk about all the old dragon kingdoms."

"There are other dragon kingdoms?" Astrid asked.

"Yes," said Aurora. "Some are still running like Draconia, some have already been taken over by humans."

"Like Mother's old mountain," said Black Widow.

"Is there no stopping it?" Hiccup asked.

"Let Father worry about that," said Aurora, calmly. "He knows what to do." Apollo yawned and did a cat stretch.

"You guys must be tired," Re said.

"And sore," said Black Widow, also stretching.

"We should get you some food," said Hiccup. The dragonets smiled.

"I'll go see where my parents got to," said Edelweiss.

"We'll go with you," said Windwalker. Edelweiss got back on Toothless and they headed into the forest. Everyone else settled down for the night.

The next morning Hiccup and the riders saddled up the dragonets for another full day of training. Avalon and her friends were optimistic, though they were still sore. They tried to ignore it. Edelweiss watched them as she gathered up all the food for the Berkian dragons. She loaded it all up onto a wheelbarrow. Valka had decided to join the training with Cloudjumper.

Edelweiss loaded up the wheelbarrow, then hauled it over to the stables. She slid the doors open and entered. The dragons where just waking up.

"Morning guys," said Edelweiss. "Your riders are getting an early start training my friends. So I've offered to look after you all until they're finished. I hope you don't mind."

"No we don't mind," said Stormfly. Edelweiss put down the wheelbarrow and pulled out her notebook.

"Lets see," she said. "Hookfang gets salmon." She pulled a basket of salmon off the wheelbarrow, and put it down in front of Hookfang. "Barf and Belch get mackerel and haddock." She put another basket in front of the Zippleback. "Stormfly gets chicken." She put chicken in front of Stormfly. "Meatlug gets rocks." She put a basket of granite in front of Meatlug. "Skullcrusher gets boar meat." She set another basket in front of Skullcrusher. "And Toothless gets cod." She put the last basket in front of Toothless. "Did I get it right?"

"You certainly did," said Skullcrusher. "Thank you."

"I'll go get you some water then," said Edelweiss. She picked up the wheelbarrow and turned to leave.

"Hey Edel," said Stormfly.

"Yeah?" Edelweiss said.

"Don't let our riders walk all over you," said Stormfly. "Just because you're younger and haven't fought in battle, doesn't mean you're lower then them."

"I know," said Edelweiss. "But if Avalon doesn't find a fifth team member before our first war, what am I going to do? I can always get captured with you guys, then I can help you escape. Since right now, I have no wings and no spare dragon. I'll be right back with water and Toothless's saddle." She picked the wheelbarrow and left the stables.

She came back with large buckets of water and the saddle. She put a bucket of water in front of each dragon. Then she picked up the saddle. While Toothless drank his water Edelweiss put the saddle on him, with some difficulty. She soon figured it out and pulled everything snug.

"Is that too tight?" She asked.

"No, it's perfect," said Toothless. "Good job." Edelweiss smiled and patted his nose.

"Let me know if I can get you guys anything else," she said.

"We're not the Red Death Edel," said Hookfang. "If we need anything, we'll get it ourselves." Edelweiss sighed.

"Very well," she said. "I'll be on my way then." She picked up the wheelbarrow and left.

Outside she put the wheelbarrow away. She turned around to find something else to do. She was suddenly boosted up from behind by Toothless, and found herself on his saddle. She blinked a few times,

"You know, just because Hiccup's my rider doesn't mean I can't have other human friends," Toothless said. "I've had other people ride me before. Stoic's ridden me a couple times."

"And Hiccup didn't like it," Edelweiss said. "You two have a great connection that I don't want to get in the way of."

"You're not, I promise," said Toothless. "So what do you say, can we be good friends and not just acquaintances?" Edelweiss considered. Then she smiled.

"Sure," she said, patting him on the head.

"Lets go for a ride," Toothless said. "Then check on your friends."

"Okay," said Edelweiss. She clicked the stirrup and Toothless took off.

They fly high over the island. Toothless headed to the top of the volcano and circled it.

"You think you'll go on this field trip with your friends?" He asked.

"Sure," said Edelweiss. "I've never met a Dramilion. I bet they're sweet."

"I've only met them when their island was under attack," Toothless said. "I've no idea what they're like."

"I hope we can make friends with them," said Edelweiss.

"Me too," said Toothless. "Let's go check on your friends, then I can take you for a real ride if you want."

"I'm excited," said Edelweiss. Toothless headed for the arena.

They landed and found the dragonets and their temporary riders. Toothless landed and headed over to them.

"How are you guys doing?" Edelweiss asked.

"We're doing pretty good," said Hiccup. "Though these guys have been unusually quiet. They don't even talk to each other." Edelweiss looked at her friends. They were very quiet.

"We're behaving," said Avalon. "We're being good, domesticated dragons."

"I appreciate that," said Hiccup. "You are being really good. But we want you to be comfortable around us." He patted her neck.

"Maybe if we train with you guys," Edelweiss suggested. "Toothless can stand in for the fifth dragon team member."

"If that's okay with these two," said Avalon, glancing between Hiccup and Toothless.

"It's fine with me," said Hiccup, and Toothless crooned in agreement.

"Great, so do you want your own dragon back?" Edelweiss asked.

"No, you can keep riding him," said Hiccup. "So Avalon can get used to me." Avalon shrugged.

"Okay," said Edelweiss. "If you insist." She patted Toothless on the head. Hiccup turned to the others.

"All right, how about we take these for a walk around the island," he said. "See if they ease up a bit."

"Why are they so nervous?" Fishlegs asked. "We're not going to hurt them." Eider fidgeted and his tail twitched.

"They don't know us like their parents do," Hiccup said. "They haven't yet learned to trust us."

"It's not like we're going to put them into cages or anything," said Astrid.

"You did once," said Avalon. "It made your whole village hate us, and hate our playing and singing." She lowered her head in shame.

"Well you guys were out of control," said Snotlout. "We did what we had to."

"I know it wasn't fun for you," said Astrid. "But it wasn't fun for us having young dragons running wild through the village, making a mess. That's why the villagers don't like you." Avalon lowered her head farther, and the other dragons exchanged a sad glance. Edelweiss rubbed her wrists, remembering when she'd been chained to a cell wall. Toothless gave Avalon a gentle bump with his wing.

"You're okay Avalon," he said. "I still like you guys, you're really fun."

"Lets go for a walk," said Hiccup. "And see if we can't talk about something else." He steered Avalon towards the woods. The others followed her. The young dragons stayed really close to each other, and didn't say a word. Avalon kept checking over her wing at her friends as they entered the woods. Hiccup patted her side.

"You're not doing anything wrong, you don't have to worry about your friends," he said. Avalon took a deep breath. "I'm sorry you guys were caged. I was hoping you guys can try to get passed that."

"It'd be easier if the village was nicer to us," said Avalon. She sniffed. "I'm sorry we're out of control and playing all the time. We're trying to rein ourselves in so you guys will like us."

"You don't really have to change for us to like you," Hiccup said. "I appreciate the effort though. It's not all your guys' fault. The village shouldn't be giving you such a hard time because you love to play and sing." Avalon took another deep breath and checked on her friends again.

"Are you guys okay?" She asked.

"We're fine," said Apollo.

"As long as we're together, I don't mind having these guys on our backs," said Black Widow. Avalon sighed and relaxed her stride.

They walked through the woods. The dragonets cheered up, but they still stayed completely silent. They didn't talk or sing. Edelweiss didn't say anything either. She kept Toothless walking beside Black Widow. She reached out and patted her own dragon's neck. Black Widow purred and licked Edelweiss's hand.

"I'm glad you're here Edel," she said. "It helps."

"Have these guys yelled at you at all?" Toothless asked.

"Not yet," said Black Widow. "But they aren't gentle with the reins either. They're not like Edelweiss, she's so much nicer."

"You know if they get too rough on you, you can always get rougher," Toothless said. "Throw them to the ground if you have to. Don't hurt them, but make it clear that you don't like what they're doing." The other dragons were listening. "You guys are dragons not horses."

"But you heard them, they don't like it when we're out of control," said Eider.

"Then that's their problem," said Toothless. "You shouldn't care what others think of you."

"What if it lands us behind bars?" Avalon asked.

"Don't let it happen," said Toothless. "If Berk wants to put you in cages, fight them and get away. Try not to kill anyone, but do what you can to get away."

"We don't want to cause Berk any trouble," said Eider.

"No you want to cause trouble," said Toothless. "Being wild doesn't mean you're evil. Causing trouble will help you get away from and defeat bad guys. If someone wants to put you in chains and cages, go as wild as you can. Use claws, teeth, fire, tails, whatever weapon you have to fight and get away. If Berk can't keep you guys down, then bad guys never will."

"That does sound more fun," said Edelweiss.

"Oh, it is," said Toothless. "Trust me it is. I believe this is what Lord Draco put me on this earth to do, liberate dragons such as yourselves."

"You're doing a great job from the sound of it," said Avalon. "You've taken down two giant dragons." Toothless smiled humbly.

"I work well with my allies," he said. "Not just Hiccup but your parents as well. I hope I can work well with you guys too. You're a great group of friends."

"We've never fought in war though," said Avalon.

"As long as we work together, you guys should be fine," said Toothless. He looked over his wing. "You okay up there?"

"I'm fine," said Edelweiss. "It's quite nice up here I'll have to admit. But it feels weird riding another dragon in front of Black Widow."

"I'm not jealous Edel," said Black Widow. "You're not in trouble." The dragonets perked up. Avalon raised her head and picked up her stride.

"You feeling better?" Hiccup asked.

"We are," said Avalon. "Thanks Toothless." Edelweiss patted Toothless on the head, making him purr.

They came out into a clearing. Valka, Cloudjumper, and the adult Draconians were clear on the other side of it. The dragonets began pulling at the reins restlessly. The riders let gave them their heads and they took off across the clearing, Toothless ran among them. They reached the group ahead and came to a stop.

"Okay, I think we can call it a day," Hiccup said. The riders dismounted, and Edelweiss got off Toothless.

"Looks like you're getting along," said Valka.

"Yeah, but they've been pretty quiet the whole time," Hiccup said. "They still think they're going to be put into cages if they misbehave."

"Oh, that's a shame," said Valka. She stood up and approached Avalon, who swished her tail nervously. Valka reached her hand out towards her. "You're okay sweetie." She stroked Avalon's snout.

"Toothless said something to them and it must have had a good affect on them," said Astrid, patting Black Widow's neck.

"Let's go guys," said Avalon. Edelweiss mounted Black Widow and they all ran off, but stayed in the clearing. Edelweiss was happy to be back on her own dragon again. They reached the tree line, where there were a circle of boulders.

"You think we'll be okay with these guys?" Apollo asked.

"I think so," said Avalon. "You heard what Toothless said, if they get rough on us we get rougher."

"Why don't we talk about something else?" Eider suggested. Avalon sat on her haunches and wrapped her tail around her talons. She looked over at her twin brother.

"I think we should help you with your magic," she said. Apollo looked sad.

"My magic is so weak," he said. "All I can do is read minds and predict the weather."

"Perhaps your magic works differently," said Avalon. "Have you tried to enchant objects?" Apollo considered. "Mother can enchant objects, and put powerful spells on them. Maybe you inherited that."

"I would need a safe place to keep all the things I enchant," Apollo said.

"Leave that to me," said Avalon. She picked up a smooth light grey stone the size of a dragon's eye and gave it to him. "Give it a try." Apollo took the rock and thought of a spell. Then he clutched it in his talons.

"I enchant this stone to fully heal any surface wound it rubs against," he said. "Especially life threatening ones." He opened his talons and looked at the stone. It still looked like an ordinary grey stone. He then slashed his forearm with his talons, cutting deep bloody gashes into his scales. He winced. Then he rubbed the stone over the wound. To his surprise the wound vanished as though it had never been there in the first place. Apollo lit up happily and smiled.

"It worked!" he exclaimed. "It actually worked!" Avalon smiled. It had been so long since she'd seen her brother that happy.

"Let me see it real quick," she said. Apollo handed her the stone. She put her anti-theft spell on it, then handed it back. Apollo took it and clutched in his talons.

"We should get you a vest with pockets," said Eider.

"But I can do this for now," said Avalon. She took the stone and pressed it over Apollo's chest. A leather string magically appeared and wrapped itself loosely around his neck. She let go and it stayed in place.

"You can take it on and off easily," she said.

"Thank you Avalon," Apollo said. He then took off running across the clearing to their parents, skipping with joy. "Mama!" Aurora glanced up from her conversation, confused.

"Apollo, what is it?" She asked. Apollo ran up to her and sat next to her.

"I enchanted this stone to heal any wounds," he said, holding up the stone. "And it works. I tested it on myself." Aurora looked at the stone.

"Well, good job Apollo," she said, beaming.

"So you can enchant object now?" Hiccup asked.

"Yes," said Apollo. "I'll need a vest with pockets to keep all the stuff I enchant in."

"That can certainly be arranged," said Re.

"Avalon put the anti theft spell on it," said Apollo as Aurora gave the stone back.

"Remember the rules Apollo," she said. "Don't get too carried away."

"Yes Mother," said Apollo.

"And if you do manage to keep all your items safe, I might give you the magic items in my collections," said Aurora. Apollo looked surprised.

"But you never give those to anyone," he said.

"Someone will have to take care of them when I move out of the castle," said Aurora. "I plan to give them to both you and Avalon." Apollo smiled and put the stone back around his neck.

"Thank you Mother," he said. He turned and headed back to his friends.

They spent the next few days training. Edelweiss and Toothless were there all the time. The dragonets took Toothless's advice and got rough when their riders pulled too hard on the reins or jabbed them in the side with their heals. Hiccup was quick to notice.

They flew in formation over the ocean. Avalon and Black Widow were having no trouble. Apollo and Eider however, were having a lot of trouble. The Twins wouldn't stay still in the saddle, which made Apollo uncomfortable. Ruffnut reached around and tried to take Apollo's stone. The anti theft spell burned her, but left no marks due to the stone's healing magic. Astrid rolled her eyes.

"How many times are you guys going to try to steal from these dragons?" She asked.

"Not to worry Ruffnut, I will get that stone for you," boasted Snotlout. He reached for Apollo's stone. Apollo growled and bit down hard on Snotlout's arm. Snotlout screamed in pain. Apollo then pulled Snotlout off Eider's saddle, sending him falling towards the water below. Apollo then spun wildly, throwing both Twins off his back and down to join Snotlout. He then flew normally beside Avalon, clutching his stone.

"That was awesome," said Eret.

"What's with you guys today?" Hiccup asked. "Not that I'm complaining."

"They tried to take to Apollo's magic rock," said Black Widow.

"Well, let's go get them," said Hiccup. He steered Avalon around and the others followed. Avalon picked up Snotlout, Eider picked up Ruffnut, and Black Widow picked up Tuffnut. They headed back to the Edge and landed in the arena. Snotlout clutched his bitten arm.

"Oh, you dragons are impossible," he said angrily.

"That's right we are," said Avalon. "And if you try it again, we can put you in our dungeons for life." Snotlout glared at her.

"I'll handle this Avalon," said Hiccup. "But first perhaps I can borrow that stone Apollo. I will give it right back." Apollo looked over at his sister, who nodded. Apollo took his stone off his neck and handed it to Hiccup, who took it.

"Oh sure he gives you the stone," Snotlout grumbled.

"I'm giving it back," Hiccup pointed out. He slid the stone over Snotlout's wound, and it vanished in seconds. Hiccup handed the stone back. "Thank you." Apollo put it back on.

"You're welcome," he said.

"I'm going to have a good long talk with these guys," said Hiccup. "You can take today and tomorrow off. Then we'll head out on our field trip."

"Dramilion Island and Dark Deep," said Apollo.

"Right," said Hiccup. The dragonets looked excited. Edelweiss got back on Black Widow. They then turned and took off.

"Lets go find our parents," said Edelweiss. Black Widow looked over at Apollo.

"Do you think your stone will erase the scar on Serenity's cheek?" She asked. "And the burn on Chris's back?" Apollo glanced at his stone.

"Maybe," he said.

"It's quite fitting you made a healing stone," said Avalon. "The Greek God Apollo was a god of healing, as well as music and sunlight." Apollo smiled.

"Maybe I an enchant a lyre next," he said amused. "If I can find one. Like something happens when ever certain strings are plucked."

"Lets save that for later," said Avalon. "I'm excited to go on this field trip, and meet Dramilions and Quakens."

"I hope they like us," said Eider. "Those Dramilions sound way cool." Avalon beamed.

They found their parents at the lake and landed near them. Edelweiss dismounted.

"You finished early," said Tenor.

"Yeah, Snotlout and Ruffnut tried to steal Apollo's stone," said Avalon. "So Hiccup is letting us have today and tomorrow of so he can fix his riders." Re sighed in frustration.

"I can't believe they're still trying to steal from us," he said.

"Apparently the spells haven't taught them to keep their hands off," said Aurora. "But don't worry, they can try all they want. Our treasures are safe, including your stone Apollo." Apollo took a deep breath.

"I wonder if this stone will erase your guy's scars," he said to Chris and Serenity.

"There's only one way to find out," said Serenity. "You can try." Apollo laid down beside her and picked up his stone. He rubbed it over the scar on her face, holding his breath. To his delight the stone made the scar vanish.

"It's gone," he said. Serenity ran her fingers over her cheek. She felt no scar.

"Wow, thank you Apollo," she said. She patted his snout. Apollo did the same with the branded mark on Chris's back, and it too vanished.

"Thanks Apollo," Chris said, hugging him. Apollo purred.

"You guys looking forward to your field trip?" Windwalker asked.

"Yeah," said Avalon. "Though I am nervous about traveling with that lot. They hate it when we sing or play."

"They'll get over it," said Re. "You guys are simply doing what you grew up doing." The dragonets sat with their elders.

"I want to make my own jewelry," said Avalon.

"Yes you've told us," said Aurora. "I think Jewel will be glad to send you some supplies." Avalon smiled. "Any requests?"

"Um, sapphires, pearls, opals, plenty of gold and silver, and leather," said Avalon. Aurora nodded. She called a Hermes Dragon down and sent a message to Jewel in Draconia.

"Thanks Mother," said Avalon. She nuzzled Aurora's neck.

"What are you guys planning on doing tomorrow?" Tenor asked.

"Um, we don't know yet," said Avalon. "Perhaps go swimming, play ball." Re breathed fire on a pile of logs. They all settled down around the fire.

The next day Avalon and her friend hung out at the lagoon. Edelweiss had brought her ball. They played with it in the shallows of the lagoon. None of them were wearing there saddles or crowns, Avalon had taken off her collar and wristbands. Apollo kept his stone where it was. They ran and splashed around, chasing the ball. No one bothered them the whole day. Apollo wanted to enchant more items, but Avalon talked him into waiting until they got him a leather vest with pockets.

"And you should only enchant a few items," said Avalon. "You can enchant things for us, but only do a few."

"I'll try to restrain myself," said Apollo. "I'm just so happy to finally in sync with my magic." He danced on the spot. Avalon rested her head on Apollo's shoulder.

"You're so adorable Apollo," she said. "I love you for it."

"Maybe I can enchant something for everyone that allows them to turn into humans at will," said Apollo. "So Edelweiss isn't so isolated, and it would be the perfect disguise." Avalon considered.

"I like where your head's at," she said. "We'll have to discuss it. I'm sure Edelweiss would appreciate it, and it will be fun when the 21st century comes."

"Yeah, the humans will have no idea," said Apollo. Avalon smiled. Just then the other three joined them.

"What'ca talkin' about?" Eider asked.

"I'm thinking of enchanting something for each of you so you can each turn human at will," said Apollo. Eider exchanged a glance with Black Widow.

"Turn us into humans?" He asked.

"Well no, just give you something that gives you the option," said Apollo. "I'd be a great disguise, and Edelweiss wouldn't have to be the only human in the group."

"I don't mind," Edel said. "I like you guys as dragons. But it would be good disguise."

"You don't have to decide now, I haven't made the things yet," said Apollo. "I just want to do my part for the team." Eider looked over at Avalon.

"You sure you don't want Apollo to my your king?" He asked.

"I'm not allowed to pick a relative," said Avalon.

"How about Toothless?" Black Widow suggested. "He'd make a good addition to the team. He already has the title of king, and he's all by himself." Avalon looked up towards the outpost, where Toothless was lounging with his friends.

"It would combine two teams, and he is very sweet," said Avalon. "But Toothless lives on Berk and we live in Draconia, they're several miles apart."

"He can't fly without Hiccup," Apollo pointed out.

"He can, he just doesn't want to," said Edelweiss. "He told me himself."

"Maybe we should ask him," said Eider. "We could make it work. He needs a queen and we need another dragon on our team." Edelweiss mounted Black Widow bareback and they headed up to the outpost.

They found Toothless in front of Hiccup's hut. He looked up when they landed.

"Hello my young friends," he said. "What can I do for you?"

"We were wondering if you wanted to be a permanent member of our team?" Avalon asked. Toothless looked surprised.

"Why me?" He asked.

"Because you'd be a great addition," said Apollo. "You've got the fighting skills, the brains, the speed, the charm. And you're a lot of fun. You really helped us yesterday." Toothless sighed.

"I appreciate the offer guys," he said. "You're a great group of friends, and I'm quite fond of you. But I must decline, I have a great life with Hiccup and the other dragons. I'm not quite ready to leave it yet."

"Oh, we understand that," said Avalon, she looked a bit disappointed.

"I hope we'll still be friends though," said Toothless. "I may have to rely on you guys someday."

"Us?" Said Avalon surprised. "You're way more experienced than all of us combined."

"Yeah, but I've been captured several times," Toothless admitted. "And Hiccup's been captured a lot, and I wasn't able to help him because my tali fin was damaged."

"You have faith in us?" Apollo asked.

"I do," Toothless said. "You guys work well together."

"But we've never fought in a real battle," said Eider.

"Have some confidence," Toothless said. "I've seen you guys sparring, you're really good." Avalon smiled.

"Well, we should get back to the lagoon," she said. She and the others turned to leave.

"See you guys later," Toothless said, as he laid back down. Edelweiss mounted Black Widow and they all took off.

They landed back at the lagoon. Edelweiss dismounted and leaned on her dragon.

"Well that didn't work," said Avalon.

"You never know, maybe he'll change his mind," said Apollo.

"I don't think so," said Avalon. "I saw in his mind, he doesn't plan on leaving Hiccup anytime soon. The only way he would is if he found a mate."

"Oh I do hope he finds one someday," said Black Widow. "Someone cute."

"And friendly," said Edelweiss.

"I'm sure Grandfather has someone really special lined up for him," said Avalon. She shuffled her wings and sighed. "Well guys, we have a long flight ahead of us."

"Yeah we get to meet the Dramilions," said Eider. "That's exciting."

"I'll be following you on Toothless," said Edelweiss. Avalon looked at her.

"You don't like riding Toothless do you," she said.

"I don't like riding another dragon in front of Black Widow," said Edelweiss. "Toothless is a great dragon, and he is fun to ride. But he's not my dragon."

"I appreciate your loyalty," said Black Widow. She nuzzled her rider. Edelweiss hugged her.

"Let's go swimming again," said Apollo. "Then turn in." The others agreed.

They played in the water for the rest of the day. Then they headed back to the outpost and looked for their parents. They curled up together, and fell asleep.

The next morning the dragonets headed for the arena to meet up with the riders. Edelweiss accompanied them as far as the dome, then went to stand beside Toothless, who was already saddled up.

"Are you ready?" He asked her.

"I am," said Edelweiss. "Are you?" Toothless nodded. Edelweiss mounted him and then joined her friends in the arena as the adult Draconians approached.

"When do you think you'll be back?" Re asked.

"Oh, in a day or so," said Hiccup, as he mounted Avalon. "You guys can tag along if you want."

"No, this is a great opportunity for you to make friends with these guys, without us around," Tenor said. "They're still nervous about traveling with you guys." Hiccup looked at the dragonets. They did look nervous. He patted Avalon's neck.

"You guys going to be okay?" He asked.

"You riders don't like traveling with us," said Apollo. "We sing and play very loudly."

"But it's not your fault we don't like it," said Astrid. "We're the ones who have to get used to you." Toothless spotted the worried look on Aurora's face.

"Don't worry your majesties, I'll keep my eye on them," he said.

"Thank you Toothless," said Re. The dragonets relaxed.

"Well, we should get going," said Hiccup. "If we're not back in three days, come look for us because we might be in trouble."

"You should be fine, I foresee no trouble," said Aurora. "Just watch out for that storm on your way back."

"Thanks," said Hiccup. Apollo made sure his healing stone was secure around his neck. Then the dragonets spread their wings and took off. Edelweiss clicked the stirrups and followed them.

They left the outpost and followed Hiccup over the ocean. The dragonets talked softly among themselves in dragontongue.

"Do you guys think the Dramilions have heard of us?" Apollo asked.

"I don't think so," said Avalon. "Were too new to this area. I don't think any dragon has heard of us."

"What should we do?" Apollo asked.

"We should be ourselves," said Avalon. "I think we'll be fine."

They fell silent for a while, and the only sound came from their flapping wings. They watched the ocean below. They didn't say a word or sing any songs. Avalon kept looking over her wing at her friends, to make sure they were okay. Toothless and the riders could tell they weren't happy.

"What's usually your favorite thing to sing about while traveling?" Hiccup asked.

"Um, we usually sing about things we see, or we'll sing about whatever mood we're in," said Avalon. We sing high energy songs when we travel, and quiet songs for when we go to bed. We have a song for just about every occasion."

"Is you spy things game the only one you play while traveling?" Astrid asked.

"That's the main one," said Avalon. "But we also play sky tag. So how far to this Dramilion Island?"

"It's a few miles," said Fishlegs.

"Don't you think you guys are getting a little old for playing games?" Astrid asked.

"Toothless still likes to play games," said Apollo. "And he's an alpha." Toothless crooned in agreement.

"We're dragons, not humans," said Avalon. "Playtime is never over for our kind." She went back to watching the ocean.

"Hey Hiccup, I wonder if I can lead the group to the island," said Fishlegs. "Since I know the most about it."

"Sure Fishlegs," said Hiccup. Avalon and Eider switched places. Avalon wasn't used to being behind anyone. But she made the best of it.

"So Fishlegs, you have a connection with these Dramilions yes?" Avalon asked.

"Yeah, it was so horrible," said Fishlegs. "My ancestor Inger Ingermen hunted the Dramilions almost to extinction."

"That's not so surprising is it?" Avalon asked. "Berk hunted dragons for three hundred years."

"Your mother said the same thing," said Fishlegs. "I always though my family weren't the killing type."

"I'm not the killing type either," said Apollo. "Yet one of my grandfathers, King Cobra, kept humans as slaves, and hunted them for sport. His son and daughter, Jack and Anastasia were the ones who put an end to it. They didn't want any humans in the country, at all."

"Mother and Father fixed that for good though," said Avalon. "Family lines change, a long with everything else."

"We had good ancestors too though," said Apollo. "King Magma and Queen Sapphire were stern, but not cruel. He took good care of our kind, even before Grandfather Draco's rise to power."

"We'll tell you that story later though," said Avalon. "Point is Fishlegs, you may have had bad ancestors, but you must have had good ones too."

"Thanks Avalon," said Fishlegs.

"What else can you tell us about King Magma?" Hiccup asked.

"Well, he and Queen Sapphire lived way back during the time of the Dinosaurs," said Avalon. "They owned the biggest spot of land and had the biggest Dinosaur livestock herd. They raised two dragonets, Prince Ashes and Princess Cindy. They were as wealthy as my family is today. I've always wanted to meet them."

"Me too," said Apollo. "Ashes was a lot like me, shy but a good learner." Avalon suddenly spotted an island below.

"Is that it?" She asked.

"Yes that's it," said Fishlegs. "We're here." They headed in for landing. Toothless roared to announce their arrival.

They all landed on the island and everyone dismounted. Avalon looked around, but so far she didn't see any Dramilions.

"Hello! Dramilions!" She called. Moment later two Dramilions, one blue and one yellow, approached them. The yellow one looked over at Toothless.

"Hello, Toothless," she said, bowing. "It is an honer to have you back on our island again." Avalon translated.

"It's nice to be back," Toothless said.

"Who are your young friends?" Asked the blue one. Toothless looked over at Avalon, indicating that she should introduce herself.

"I'm Princess Avalon," she said. "This is my brother Prince Apollo. And this is Eider, Black Widow, and Edelweiss. What are your names?"

"My name's Gonzo," said the blue dragon. "This is my mate Sunny."

"What are you the Princess of?" Sunny asked.

"Draconia," said Avalon. The Dramilions looked surprised.

"So far from home," said Sunny.

"It's okay, we like traveling," said Apollo. Just then Gonzo spotted Fishlegs.

"That's the human I told you about," he told Sunny. "The one you showed us how to free ourselves." Sunny looked over at Fishlegs.

"I see," she said. "He looks okay I suppose." She then looked over at Edelweiss and the dragonets. "So this is your guys' first time to this island."

"It is," said Avalon. "But we've heard quite a lot about it, and you guys." Gonzo slowly approached Edelweiss.

"Hi Gonzo," she said. Gonzo's eyes went wide.

"This human can speak to us," he said.

"Yes, both my parents can speak to dragons," said Edelweiss. "And they taught me."

"Interesting," said Gonzo. "You are Edelweiss?"

"Yes," said Edelweiss. She reached her hand out and he placed his snout against her palm. "So are you in charge here?"

"I am not," said Gonzo. "We have a titan wing Dramilion, Hookbill, who is in charge of the island."

"Is he nice?" Avalon asked.

"Yes, he's very nice," said Gonzo. "He takes good care of us." Avalon smiled.

"I hope I can do that someday," she said. "I really want to be a good queen."

"I hate to interrupt whatever conversation you're having, but we have a whole island to explore before the sun sets," said Fishlegs.

"It was good meeting you guys," said Avalon.

"Yeah same here," said Gonzo. Edelweiss hugged him, which surprised him. She then got back on Toothless. The other riders mounted the dragonets and they took off over the woods. Edelweiss pulled Toothless beside Eider.

"Does my speaking dragon still bother you Fishlegs?" She asked.

"Well, it's always bothered me," said Fishlegs. "It bothers me when your parents do it too. It drove me crazy that they could get more out of a dragon then we could. But I keep it to myself now." Edelweiss looked guilty. Toothless looked over his wing at her.

"Don't worry Edel," he said. "You parents never let Fishlegs's jealousy keep them from talking to dragons." He pulled back into his spot beside Black Widow. "You be yourself, don't change because someone's jealous of you. I'm sure you're jealous of someone."

"I'm kid of jealous of you guys," said Edel. "You get to be war heroes."

"And we had to make a lot of sacrifices to be war heroes," said Toothless.

"My friends and I haven't been able to do any of the cool stuff you guys did," said Edelweiss.

"Oh, you'll get to do cool stuff," said Toothless. "Just be patient." Edelweiss sighed.

"Ok, I trust you," she said. They carried on over the island in silence.

Back on the Edge Windwalker was getting a drink from the lake. When she finished she headed back to Tenor's cave. She found Tenor in the entrance of the cave. At first she thought he was sleeping since his eyes were closed, but his head was up. She landed next to him.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Remembering," said Tenor. "The last time I lived here."

"Were you happy back then?" Windwalker asked.

"To be honest, I was a lot happier here then I was back in castle," Tenor said.

"Why?" Windwalker asked.

"I had more friends here," Tenor said. "The only friends I had in Draconia were Re, Aurora, and Serenity. Here, no one made fun of me." Windwalker nuzzled him.

"Were you happier then, then you are now?" She asked.

"No, I am exactly where I've wanted be all my life," Tenor said. "I couldn't be happier." He laid his head down. Windwalker looked down at him.

Tenor talked a lot about what he went through as a dragonet. But Windwalker still didn't know the full extent of his past. Tenor was the only one who did know, and his two best friends.

"I'll be back," she said. Tenor sat up.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"I'm going to see where the others have gotten to," said Windwalker.

"You want me to go with you?" Tenor asked.

"No, you stay here and keep remembering," said Windwalker. "I'll come back." She spread her wings and took off.

She found Re, Aurora, Serenity, and Chris in the clubhouse. They looked up when she landed.

"Hi Windwalker," said Chris.

"Hi," said Windwalker. "I wonder, Aurora can you show visions of the past?"

"I can," said Aurora. "I've never done it, but I know the steps. Why?"

"I want to know exactly what Tenor went through when he was young," said Windwalker. "I feel it will help me understand him better." Re and Aurora exchanged a glance.

"Are you sure?" Re asked. "Tenor's past is really violent and so heartbreaking."

"I can handle it," said Windwalker. "Please." Aurora took a deep breath.

"All right," she said. "But I want to wait until the others get back, in case they get into trouble and we have to go rescue them."

"Do you plan to tell Tenor?" Serenity asked. "He hates being kept under the sun, as he puts it."

"Yes I know," Windwalker said. "I do plan to tell him."

"What do you plan to tell me?" Asked someone. Windwalker turned to see Tenor landing on the boardwalk.

"Hi Tenor," said Windwalker.

"Hello," said Tenor, as he sat next to his rider. "Now what are you planning to tell to tell me?" Windwalker sat next to her own rider.

"It's a bit of a delicate matter," she said. "I'll tell you tonight after hunting." Tenor narrowed his eyes in suspicion, but only for a moment.

"All right," he said.

Avalon and her friends finished exploring Dramilion Island and soon left it behind. They headed for Dark Deep. The dragonets sang their travel songs and talked about their next destination. They sang all the way to Dark Deep. When they got there they met the Gronckles and Quakens. They all spent the night there, where Fishlegs told the dragonets everything he knew about the Boulder Class dragons.

"You know, I'm not sure I like this idea of putting dragon in classes," said Avalon. "What happens if a dragon from two different classes mated and had dragonets? What class would they be in?"

"It just makes things easier for us," said Fishlegs. "Besides, that's never happened."

"Sure it hasn't," said Black Widow, glowering. Eider flexed his claws.

"I mean that's never happened in the archipelago," said Fishlegs.

"I hatched on Berk," said Black Widow, still irritated.

"Yeah but, you, Eider, and Tenor are the only hybrids I've met," said Fishlegs.

"That's a fair point Black Widow," said Apollo. "Hybrids are rare up here, too rare to be in any class." Black Widow and Eider both relaxed.

"I suppose your right," Black Widow said.

"So, it seems the Boulder Class is your favorite," said Avalon.

"But it doesn't mean I like the other classes any less," said Fishlegs.

"I'm wondering why you picked Catastrophic Quaken?" Apollo asked. "And why guys you still come up with names like Death Song and Night Terror. Are dragons really that scary?"

"They do seem to have about five dragons with the word Death in their name," said Eider. "I know dragons kill, but it's not all we do."

"Well, until I met Toothless that's kind of what we associated with dragons," said Hiccup. "For three hundred we thought killing was the only thing dragons knew."

"But we're all okay now," said Astrid, patting Black Widow on the neck. Edelweiss yawned and leaned her head on Toothless's shoulder.

"We should get some sleep," said Hiccup. "We're heading back to the Edge first thing tomorrow." The dragonets settled down and soon feel asleep.

The next day the riders mounted the dragonets, Edelweiss got on Toothless and they took off. They headed back towards Dragon's Edge. The dragonets sang more travel songs. Toothless sang with them and danced at times.

About half way there, dark clouds appeared ahead of them. The wind picked up and the water grew choppy.

"I think that's the storm Mother warned us about," said Avalon.

"It'll take forever to go around that," said Snotlout.

"But it's too dangerous to go through it," said Astrid.

"We'll have to go around," said Hiccup. "It may take a long time, but at least we'll get back safely." He steered Avalon in a different direction. The others followed. The sky darkened more and more. It soon started to rain. Lighting flashed in the distance. The dragons flew lower to avoid getting struck. Thunder boomed making the dragonets jumpy. A bolt of lightening flashed close to Avalon, which startled her. Hiccup patted her neck.

"It's okay Avalon, I've flown through lots of storms," he said. Avalon settled down a little. She looked behind her to check on her friends. They were all just as nervous as she was. Toothless was the calmest one.

The storm got worse. It soon got too dark and rainy to see anything. Avalon let Toothless be in the lead, so he and Black Widow could use their sonar. Toothless also activated his titan wing so the dragonets could see him. Toothless looked for an island they could land on to wait out the storm. Soon he picked up on one and homed in on it.

"Hang on my young friends," he said. "We'll land on this island and wait out the storm. Stay together." The dragonets stayed where they could see his glowing scales. Then another lightening bolt flashed right near Avalon so suddenly that she bolted away from the group. Hiccup tried to rein her in, but she was too spooked. He pulled her to a stop. She stopped, but she stayed put for too long and a bolt of lightening struck her right on her collar.

"AVALON!" Apollo cried. He watched his sister fall towards the sea unconscious. Hiccup fell out of the saddle. Everyone dove after them. Black Widow both used her sonar. She caught Hiccup and Eider caught Avalon. They headed for the island they could barely make out through the rain. Unfortunately they lost sight of Toothless and Edelweiss.

Toothless scanned the area, but even with his sonar and Edelweiss helping he couldn't find them.

"Do you see them?" Edel asked.

"No," said Toothless. "The rain is too thick. All I can see is a large sea stack." He flapped his wings against the gusts of wind. "We're going to have to set down and wait for the storm to pass." He looked back to see the worried look on Edelweiss's face. "Don't worry Edel, if they're in the area we'll find them. Trust me." He headed for the sea stack, battling the wind and rain. Edelweiss held on tight. They landed on the sea stack and Toothless walked over to a stone overhang. Edelweiss dismounted. It was dryer under the overhang, but not warmer. Toothless laid down and Edelweiss followed suit. Toothless wrapped his wing around her. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," said Edel. "I hope they made it to the island."

"Me too," said Toothless. "They were headed that direction."

"You think Avalon's still alive?" Edel asked.

"Hiccup got struck by lightening once," Toothless said. "And he survived." He nuzzled her shoulder. "I'm worried about them too. We will look for them the moment the storm ends." Edelweiss sighed and wormed closer to him.

"How well do you know this area?" She asked.

"Pretty well," said Toothless. "Tenor taught me how to read the stars. You can rely on me." Edelweiss sighed and relaxed. Toothless put his head in her lap and she petted him.

They watched the rain together. Edelweiss sang a few rain songs that her grandmother taught her. It helped take her mind of her lost friends. Toothless's scales felt so warm against her own, that she soon feel asleep.

Hiccup woke up to bright sunlight and a cold breeze. He sat up and looked around. He was surrounded by tall cliffs and large boulders. Black Widow was laying next to him. She was munching on a pile of red apple-like fruit.

"Black Widow, where are we?" Hiccup asked. Black Widow looked down at him.

"I'm not sure," she said. "We crashed on this island, you and Avalon blacked out."

"Where is everyone?" Hiccup asked. Black Widow looked over at the group. The rides were sitting around a campfire with Eider.

"Astrid asked me to watch you," Black Widow said. "Apollo's looking after his sister." She looked over to where Apollo was sitting next to Avalon. The Princess was still unconscious. Her collar and wristbands had been blasted off by the the lightening, and her saddle was gone. She had burns all down her body and large holes in her wings. Her face was frozen into a grimace of pain.

"Is she still alive?" Hiccup asked.

"Yes, but she's not looking very good," said Black Widow. She looked at him again. "How are you you feeling?" Hiccup sat up farther and looked down at himself. His metal leg was missing.

"I think I'm okay," he said. "Shame about my leg though."

"Yes I'm sorry about that," said Black Widow. "It came off when I tried to grab you. You think you can get up? I'll help you." Hiccup crawled over to her saddle and pulled himself onto it. When he was secure, Black Widow got to her feet. "So I'd I get out of that unscathed?"

"You had a few injuries," said Black Widow. "But Apollo patched you up with is stone." She walked over to the others. "Hey guys, Hiccup's awake." Astrid beamed.

"Thank Thor," she said. "It's a good thing Apollo has that rock." She got up and helped Hiccup get down from the saddle.

"Have any of you figured out where we are?" Black Widow asked.

"It does seem familiar," said Fishlegs. "But I can't place it."

"We should look around, now that Hiccup's awake," Eider suggested. "It may take Toothless and Edelweiss a while to find us."

"I don't want to leave Avalon," said Apollo, close to tears. "There could be scavengers on this island, they might eat her alive."

"Don't you want to go exploring?" Astrid asked. "You guys love to explore." Apollo bowed his head sorrowfully.

"I'll stay behind with Avalon," said Eider. "I won't let any scavengers get her." Apollo sighed.

"Thanks Eider," he said. He nuzzled Avalon's face, then got to his feet. He pulled off his healing stone and handed it to Eider. "Take this." Eider took the stone and took Apollo's place beside Avalon. Hiccup got back on Black Widow.

"You going to be okay here?" He asked Eider.

"Yes I'll be fine," Eider said. The riders got to their feet. Hiccup led them away from the campsite.

Back on the sea stack, Toothless and Edelweiss came out of their shelter. The storm had passed and the sea was calm again. Toothless scanned the horizon.

"Shall we go search?" He asked.

"Yes," said Edelweiss. She mounted him and clicked the stirrup. Toothless spread his wings and took off. They flew back to where Toothless remembered seeing the island. It took a bit of looking, but soon he found it. He circled the island and suddenly came to a dead stop.

"Whoa, what is it?" Edel asked.

"I know where they are," Toothless said. "But we can't land there."

"What are you talking about?" Edel said.

"I'll explain on the way back to the Edge," said Toothless. "The others are fine where they are, but they will have trouble getting off." He turned and flew in the other direction.

The riders and the two dragonets walked over the island. Hiccup was leading them towards the shore. They came out onto the beach.

"This place does seem familiar," Hiccup said. Apollo suddenly let out a yelp of surprise. They all turned to see what had spooked him. He was looking at an enormous dragon skull, that looked almost like a human skull.

"Hiccup, you recognize this fossil?" Fishlegs asked.

"Yes," said Hiccup. "Bewilderbeast."

"Draco's flame!" Black Widow gasped. "Your descriptions didn't do it justice."

"Toothless actually defeated one of these?" Said Apollo. "That is crazy."

"So does that mean you know where we are?" Black Widow asked.

"Yes," said Fishlegs, nervously. "We're on Vanahiem. This is not good."

"So this is Vanahiem," said Apollo. "Wow." A look of reverence came across his face. Black Widow looked up at the giant fossil, which seemed to stare back at her.

"It's both really beautiful, and really creepy," she said.

"But it is quiet here," said Apollo. He led the way towards the fossil's open jaws. The others followed him.

Toothless flew back towards the Edge. He'd told Edelweiss about Vanahiem. It took a few hours to get back to the Edge.

"So you're not afraid of the Sentinels?" Edelweiss asked.

"No, they're good dragons and the serve the Dragon God well," said Toothless. "They just won't let the group leave." He picked up speed as the Edge came into view, he let out a roar to announce his approach. They soon landed next at the stables. Re and Aurora joined him.

"Toothless are you guys okay?" Aurora asked.

"We're fine Grandmother," said Edelweiss. "But the others are stuck on Vanahiem."

"Oh dear," said Aurora.

"And Avalon got hit by lightening," said Toothless. That put them on alert.

"Avalon?" Aurora gasped. "Lead the way Toothless." Toothless spread his wings and took off. Re rounded up Tenor, Windwalker, and their riders. Then they followed Toothless back towards Vanahiem.

The Berkians and two Draconians wandered through the island. They soon found themselves entering the area with the shrines. The Sentinels were perched high on the cliffs.

"There must be thousands of generations of dragons here," said Apollo, his voice and face still reverent.

"Why haven't the Sentinels attacked us yet?" Eret asked, glancing up at the cliffs.

"The Sentinels are statues that grandfather carved out of the cliffs and enchanted," said Apollo. "They only come alive when they sense a threat, or at night to maintain the island. If we try to leave they'll attack." He spotted Fishlegs heading towards the tombs. "Where are you going Fishlegs?"

"To look around," said Fishlegs. "There's still so much we could learn about dragons from this place."

"You're not going to be a grave robber are you Fishlegs?" Black Widow asked.

"I heard this place has many dragon spirits that get real angry if you disturb their tombs," said Apollo. "It's one of Grandfather's clever little booby traps."

"What can a ghost possibly do?" Snotlout asked.

"They turn themselves into a curse," said Apollo. "They follow you around for the rest of your life. They can scare your farm animals to death, so you can't get eggs or milk or whatever you use farm animals for. They will make sure you never get a good night sleep. They can make your crops spoil every time you grow them, and it gets worse every day." Fishlegs swallowed hard and backed up.

"Lets get back to the campsite," Hiccup suggested. He steered Black Widow around. They all headed back to the campsite, leaving the tombs in peace.

Eider waited for the group to return. He stayed right by Avalon the whole time. He used Apollo's healing stone to clean up Avalon's scales. It seemed to bring her relief. Her face relaxed, but she still didn't wake up. Eider was worried she wasn't going to make it. When her scales were all cleaned of the burns, Eider put the stone around his neck. He then made himself comfortable and looked down at Avalon. She was so beautiful. Her peacock green scales sparkled in the sunlight, and her horns were the same color as his own scales. Her body, legs, and neck were very slender. Eider nuzzled her face.

"Please get better Avalon," he whispered, knowing she could hear him. "You're our leader, our future queen. We'll be lost without you." He laid his head down beside hers and put a large wing over her. Just then the others returned. Eider sat up.

"You're back," he said.

"We're back," said Apollo. "And we've discovered that we're on Vanahiem." Eider looked around in awe.

"This is Vanahiem?" He asked. "It looks so ordinary."

"How's Avalon?" Black Widow asked. Eider looked down at the Princess.

"I've cleaned all the burns off," said Eider. "But she hasn't woken up yet." He handed the healing stone back to Apollo. Black Widow helped Hiccup off of her saddle.

"It's almost sundown," said Astrid. Apollo laid down on Avalon's other side. "Should we try to leave the island?"

"I'm not abandoning my sister," Apollo barked. "I'll wait until help comes."

"You think the Sentinels will help us?" Eider asked. Apollo considered.

"They might," he said. "Grandfather knows accidents happens and the Sentinels aren't cruel." Black Widow joined them and laid next to Apollo.

"Can you go talk to the Sentinels?" She asked. "See if they'll help us." Apollo took a deep breath.

"Avalon's better at stuff like this," he said. "I'll see what I can do." He got to his feet. "I'll be back." He spread his wings and took off.

He flew back to the cliffs over the tombs. The Sentinels were still there. He found the Elder Sentinel and landed in front of him.

"Hello?" Apollo called. He sat on his haunches and waited. The Elder sprang to life. He opened his eyes and sniffed around.

"Who's there?" He asked.

"I'm sorry to bother you sir," said Apollo timidly. The Elder looked in his direction.

"Who are you?" The Elder asked.

"My name is Apollo, my friends and I were caught in a storm," Apollo said. "My sister got struck by lightening, and we crashed here." The Elder tilted his head.

"We heard you guys wandering around," he said. "How is your sister doing?"

"She hasn't woken up," said Apollo. "I was hoping you'd help us." The Elder smiled at him.

"I don't think there's much we can do," he said. "We're bound by the law Draco has set for this island. We'll do what we can. Where's your sister?"

"I'll show you," said Apollo. He spread his wings and took off. The Elder called to his group, who came to life. They all followed Apollo back towards the campsite.

They landed near the group. Eider and Black Widow looked relieved to see the Sentinels.

"Boy are we glad to see you guys," said Black Widow. The riders came over from their campfire.

"Apollo, why'd you bring these guys here?" Fishlegs asked.

"They want to help," said Apollo. The Elder Sentinel approached the younger dragons and sniffed Avalon. Apollo stood next to him.

"You said she got struck by lightening," said the Elder.

"Yeah," said Eider. "I used Apollo's magic healing stone to clean the burns off her scales." The Elder looked in Apollo's direction.

"You have a magic stone?" He asked.

"Yes," said Apollo. "Avalon and I inherited magic from our mother Queen Aurora." The Sentinels looked at him.

"You must be the Master Dragon's grandchildren," said one of the Sentinels. Apollo seemed a bit surprised.

"You know about us?" He asked.

"Just because we stay here on Vanahiem doesn't mean we don't know what goes on in the dragon world," said the Elder. "The Master Dragon keeps us well updated." He turned back to Avalon. "She's not looking real good I'm afraid. Is there anyone off the island who knows where you are?"

"Alpha Toothless knows," said Black Widow. "I'm sure he'll come."

"When he does come will you let us go?" Eider asked.

"It's not up to us I'm afraid," said the Elder. "The Master Dragon makes the law here, it's up to him." Apollo hung his head and Eider looked down hopelessly at Avalon.

"Don't worry young ones," said another Sentinel. "I'm sure things will work out." He gave Apollo and encouraging nudge.

"We need to attend to the island now," said the Elder. "We'll be around if you need us."

"Thank you," said Apollo. The Sentinels spread their wings and took off. Apollo laid back down beside Avalon.

"What did they say?" Hiccup asked.

"It's up to Grandfather weather we get to leave," said Apollo. "We'll have to wait until Toothless finds us." Black Widow got up.

"I'll go watch for him," she said. She took off and went to the highest point of the island, which was on of the giant Bewilderbeast's ribs. She landed and looked out over the ocean. She laid down and watched for their rescue. She could see the campsite bellow and the Sentinels flying around.

She must have dozed off because the next thing she knew, she heard the roar of a Night Fury. She sat up and looked out over the ocean again. The sun was setting and the sky was growing dark. But in the distance she could see the silhouettes of dragons heading for the island. Black Widow jumped to he feet. She fired her red plasma blasts into the sky to signal them. She flew down to the beach as Toothless landed with Re and Aurora. The others were circling out over the ocean.

"Black Widow, you're okay!" Edelweiss exclaimed. She jumped off Toothless and ran to her own dragon. She hugged her, and Black Widow hugged her back.

"I'm so glad to see you guys," said Black Widow.

"Where are the others?" Aurora asked. Edelweiss mounted her dragon.

"This way," said Black Widow. She led them towards the campsite.

When they got there the group sat up. Toothless ran to his rider and checked him out.

"Are you guys okay?" Re asked.

"We're okay," said Astrid. "Better now that you're here." Aurora tilted her head towards the sky and let out a loud roar. Apollo ran up to them.

"Mother, Father you're here!" He cried. He nuzzled both his parents, who nuzzled him back. Edelweiss dismounted and went over to Avalon, Black Widow followed.

"Is she dead?" Edel asked sadly.

"No, not yet," said Eider. Edelweiss sat next to Avalon's head.

"Well, my mother is here," she said. "She'll know what to do." Eider relaxed a bit. Re and Aurora came over. Aurora inspected her daughter.

"Her body is in shock, and paralyzed," she said. "I don't think she'll last the night if we don't get her back to the Edge."

"But we aren't allowed to leave," said Apollo.

"No, but Father's on his way down," said Aurora. "It'll be okay." Just then a Lord Draco materialized out of thin air, right next to the riders.

"Grandfather!" Apollo cried happily. "You're here."

"Yes," said Draco. "You've gotten yourselves in a tight situation."

"Avalon's hurt, can you help her?" Apollo asked. Draco walked over and looked down at Avalon.

"I demand you let us go," barked Snotlout. Draco turned his head to look sideways at him.

"Aurora, you and Re can get Avalon back to the Edge," he said. Aurora hoisted Avalon onto her back with Re's help.

"What about the others?" Aurora asked.

"I'll escort them back myself," said Draco. "Hurry, she's not going to last forever." Re and Aurora took off to join the rest of their group. Draco turned to face the riders with a hard look. He first turned to Hiccup. "I believe this is yours." He handed Hiccup his metal leg.

"Thanks," said Hiccup. He took the leg and put it back on. Draco then looked at Snotlout.

"You dare give me orders on my island," he said sternly. "The rest of you are free to go, but I think this one needs to stay until he learns some manners."

"I'm sorry, please don't strand me here," Snotlout begged. Draco narrowed his eyes.

"Well that's a start," he said.

"Vikings aren't really known for their manners I'm afraid," said Astrid. Draco sighed and looked back at Edelweiss and her friends.

"We crashed here by accident my lord," said Eider.

"Yes I know," said Draco. "I hold no one responsible for this." He sighed again. "Very well, you're all free to go. I'm just so glad that in a few short years I will never have to worry about this again."

"Thank you Draco," said Hiccup. The riders got onto the dragonets. Hiccup mounted his dragon, leaving Edelweiss without a dragon again. Draco used his tail to hoist her onto his back.

"The Dragon Age is really about to end?" She asked.

"Yes, and I couldn't be more thrilled about it," said Draco. He spread his wings and took off, with the others following him. They made their way off the island.

"Thank you Grandfather," said Apollo. "I was worried I was going to lose my sister."

"You're welcome," Draco said. "That's quite the stone you've made."

"I figured it would come in handy," said Apollo. "Do you think we can get one more dragon on our team? So Edelweiss won't be left behind?"

"Don't worry, I have one on the way," Draco said. "I just have to figure out a design and gender."

"Will Avalon be okay?" Edelweiss asked.

"She'll be just fine," said Draco. "Her recovery will be lengthy and painful though. She'll need your guys' help. Now lets get you all home." He picked up speed and led them all back towards the Edge.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Avalon felt pain all throughout her body, all they way down her tail. All she could see was blackness. She soon realized her eyes were closed. She tried to open them, but even that hurt. All she could do was hear and smell. She could smell wood and stone, she could hear someone breathing near her. She let out a moan and tried to open her eyes again. She succeeded this time, though her vision was blurred. She blinked and it cleared. She recognized her surroundings as the arena with the dome closed. She tried to move her limbs but they would not obey her. She moaned again. She suddenly felt a hand on her neck and it made her jump.

"You're okay Avalon," Serenity said gently. "Your body's still paralyzed." Avalon relaxed and opened her mouth. She coughed.

"W-what happened?" She croaked.

"You got hit by lightening," said Serenity. "You'll be okay though. I'll be right back." Avalon heard her get up and leave. She kept trying and failing to move. She managed to move her head, but nothing else. A moment later she heard someone enter the arena.

"Who's there?" She asked. "I can't see you."

"It's just us Avalon," said Apollo as he and Chris came into her line of vision. She relaxed and smiled. Chris knelt beside her.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"I can't feel my body," said Avalon. "I can't move."

"You'll be able to move again, in a few days," said Serenity. "Are you hungry?" Avalon took a deep breath.

"A little," she said. "I don't know how I'm going to eat anything like this." Serenity put a small fish in front of her, where she could see it. Avalon clamped it in her jaws and managed to swallow it. "Thanks." Serenity put another fish down and she ate it. "Where's everyone else?"

"Their asleep," said Chris. "It's the middle of the night."

"Oh," said Avalon. She laid her head back down. "How long was I out?"

"About a week," said Apollo. "What's the last thing you remember?" Avalon considered.

"I remember the storm, and being spooked by the lightening," she said. "I remember Hiccup falling off my back, I do feel bad about that. Then flash and blackout. What happened?"

"You guys crash landed on Vanahiem," Chris said. Avalon looked surprised.

"Vanahiem?" She said.

"Grandfather gave us permission to leave," said Apollo. "So we could save you." Avalon took a deep breath.

"You feeling any pain?" Serenity asked.

"Yeah, a lot," said Avalon. Serenity reached into her back and pulled out her supply of Speed Stinger venom and filled a syringe. She injected it into Avalon. The Princess felt the pain cease. "Thank you."

"You should rest now," said Serenity.

"We'll watch her for the rest of the night," Apollo volunteered. Serenity sighed.

"All right," she said. "Let me know if she feels pain again." She left, Chris and Apollo took her place. Avalon relaxed. She felt better with her brothers next to her.

"Our team is nothing without you," said Apollo, nuzzling her. Avalon smiled and closed her eyes.

"There's not much left for us to do," she said. "All the wars have been fought and won."

"Why are you so eager to fight a war?" Chris asked. "It's not as fun as you think."

"No, but you seem to gain a lot of respect if you win a war," said Apollo. "Makes you a hero."

"You guys don't have to win a war to be heroes," Chris said. "And I have a lot of respect for you guys." Avalon took a deep breath. "Get some rest Avalon, it's late." Avalon didn't argue, since she couldn't move.

"Don't go anywhere," she said softly. She felt Apollo put her wing over her. She soon fell asleep.

The next morning Windwalker woke up, with Tenor beside her. He was still asleep. She nuzzled his face, then got to her feet. She headed out of the arena. It was mostly empty except for Chris, Apollo, and Avalon, who were all asleep. Windwalker walked outside and looked around for Aurora. She found her near the woods, talking to Lord Draco. They both looked over when Windwalker approached.

"Ah, good morning Windwalker," Draco said cheerfully.

"Good morning my lord," Windwalker said. "How is it that you're the only god who comes down to Earth?"

"Because, it's fun being different from the other gods," Draco said. "Well what can we do for you?" Aurora looked solemn.

"She wants me to show her Tenor's past," she said. Draco nodded.

"Perhaps we can talk later," he said. "I do like this idea though, allowing spirits to visit Earth once a year, I'll figure out the details. Now if you'll excuse me, there's something I must check on out at sea." He turned and flew away. Aurora turned to Windwalker.

"Your ready?" She asked.

"Yes," said Windwalker. "I know it'll be bad."

"Follow me," said Aurora. She turned and headed into the woods, Windwalker followed her.

"Where are we going?" Windwalker asked.

"I'm looking for a cave, I need a archway," said Aurora. She soon arrived at the cave where the white Night Terrors lived. "This'll do."

"I thought no one but Fishlegs was allowed in there," Windwalker said. Aurora reached into her armor.

"You're not going into the cave, you're just walking through the entrance," said Aurora. She pulled out a single black scale. "The spell will start to when Tenor was just an egg to when he first left for Berk, and everything in between."

"Will you be able to see it?" Windwalker asked.

"I've already seen it," said Aurora. "I was there for all of it." She put the scale in the middle of the cave entrance, and whispered words too softly even for Windwalker's ears. Then she stood back. "You'll be able to see and hear everything, but you will not be able to be seen or heard by anyone." Windwalker nodded. Aurora took a deep breath and breathed her blue fire at the entrance. Instead of going into the cave, the fire spread out as though it had hit a solid wall. A moment later the fire cleared and the cave entrance was pitch black.

"It's ready," Aurora said. "You just have to walk through. I'm going to check on Avalon." Windwalker looked at the entrance.

"You're not staying?" She asked.

"I don't have to," said Aurora. "I just have to come back when the spell runs out." She spread her wings and took off. Windwalker turned to the entrance. She took a deep breath and stepped through the archway.

She came out in a completely different location. It was night time, and a storm was moving in. Windwalker soon recognized the place as the front lawn of the Draconian castle. The castle itself was looming against the storm clouds. Suddenly a black dragon came flying over it and landed in front of the large doors. Windwalker got closer to make out what the dragon looked like. It was a female Blackfang with yellow eyes. She held something in her front talons. Windwalker recognized the dragon as Firefly, Tenor's mother. She looked sad and anxious. She gently set the thing in her talons on the castle step.

"I'm sorry little one," she sobbed. "I promise you, we will meet again." She sniffed then backed up. She took one last look, then spread her wings and took off. Windwalker walked up to the step, and found a small, round, black dragon egg. It was Tenor's egg, abandoned. It looked just like Black Widow's egg. Windwalker already knew Firefly wouldn't come back.

Time seemed to speed up, next minuet it was morning and the storm clouds were gone. Windwalker stepped back a bit. Suddenly the doors opened and light blue female dragon with a dark blue stripe down her back and neck came out. She spotted the egg at once and was quite surprised. Windwalker remembered seeing portraits of this dragon. She was Re's mother, Queen Idriss. Re had her ocean blue eyes. Idriss picked the egg up and glanced up at the sky, as though she'd spot whoever had left the egg. She found nothing and looked back at the egg.

"Where did you come from little egg?" She asked. She carefully clamped the egg in her jaws and went back inside. Windwalker quickly slipped in behind her before the doors closed. She followed the queen through the entrance hall, into the great hall. There were five other dragons in there. One was dark brown, with orange eyes and a bronze crown, another was caramel brown with white spots on her wings, grey eyes and gold crown, the third was dappled grey with black and white freckles all over her body, grass green eyes and a black crown. The other two were both dragonets, one emerald green, the other sapphire blue. Windwalker instantly recognized them as Re and Aurora. She also knew the dark brown dragon was Re's father King Jack. She didn't recognize the other two.

They all looked up when Idriss entered. They were all surprised to see her with the egg.

"Idriss, where'd you get that?" The grey dragon asked.

"I just found it on the front steps," Idriss said, setting it down. "I've never seen a black dragon egg before." The dragons gathered around her to get a better look.

"Who would abandon their egg?" The light brown dragon asked.

"Someone on the run, or in too much danger to raise a dragonet," said Jack. "It's a dangerous world out there Anna." Re approached the egg and sniffed it.

"Can we keep it Mother?" He asked. Idriss looked down at him.

"We don't have a choice," she said. "We'll have to keep it, and hope the parents come back for it." Aurora turned to the grey dragon.

"Pepper, where's Alto?" She asked.

"She's still asleep," said Pepper. "I'll go wake her up."

"Meantime, we should find a safe place for this," Idriss said, picking up the egg.

"Our room, will be just fine," Jack said. He turned and crawled into his throne. Idriss left the great hall, with the two dragonets at her heels. Windwalker followed them through the castle.

They arrived in the King and Queen's chambers at the very top of the castle. Sunlight streamed in through the windows. There was a smaller white cushion next to the larger white bed. Idriss carefully set the egg on the smaller bed.

"Maybe we can make a nest for it," Aurora suggested. "Then watch it until it hatches."

"Watching an egg gets boring after a while," said Idriss. "You guys never stand still." Re and Aurora exchanged a glance.

"At least until you're done downstairs," said Re. "It could hatch at any moment."

"Very well," said Idriss. "I'll be back to check on you this evening." She turned around and flew out the open window. Re and Aurora turned back to the egg.

"Is it still alive?" Re asked. Aurora pressed her ear against the eggshell.

"It is, I can hear a heartbeat," she said. "Come on, lets make it comfortable." She went over to the large bed and pulled several pillows out from under it. She piled them up next to the windows. Re carefully picked up the egg and carried it over. He suddenly tripped and dropped the egg. It rolled across the room.

"Re," Aurora scolded.

"Sorry," said Re. Aurora ran after the egg and picked it up in her jaws. She carried it back and put on the pillows.

"There you go little guy," she said. "You'll be okay here." Just then a sand-colored dragonet flew inside. Windwalker recognized her as Alto, the dragon she replaced on Re's team. She landed and folded her wings.

"Hey Alto," said Re.

"Mother said an egg was found," Alto said.

"Yeah, we're just making it comfortable," said Aurora. Alto looked down at the egg.

"It's black," she said. "That's strange."

"Not so strange, black eggs are rare but they do exist," said Aurora. "Father told me that himself." Alto shrugged.

"When will it hatch?" She asked.

"I hope soon," said Re. Aurora laid down next to the egg.

Suddenly the sene shifted. It was now night time, and the full moon shone down. Jack and Idriss were asleep in their bed, Re and Aurora were asleep in theirs. Tenor's egg still sat on the pillows, in direct moonlight. Windwalker suspected the sene had magically changed to the night Tenor hatched. It was exactly how Re and Aurora had described it. Windwalker watched the egg. It suddenly shifted and small cracks appeared in the shell. The dragonet scraped at the shell, trying to get out. A large chip broke off, and a green eye peeked out. It looked out at the bright full moon. More chunks broke off and more body parts poked out. However the eye never stopped looking right at the moon. Then with one last effort, the dragonet broke out of the egg and there he was.

Little Tenor was laying on his back, still looking up at the moon with his enormous green eyes. It seemed to smile down on him. Then he rolled onto his front and looked around. He spotted Re and Aurora. He let out a loud cry, his gums gleamed in the moonlight. Re and Aurora woke up at the sound.

"Re, he hatched!" Aurora said excitedly.

"I can see that," said Re. They got off their bed and approached the hatchling. "Though I've never seen a dragon like that before," he took in the hatchling's small head and frame, large wings, black scales, green eyes, the flaps around his head, and the fins on his long tail. Aurora looked him up and down too.

"He does look strange," she said. "I wonder where he came from." She suddenly spotted the scared look on the hatchling's face. "Oh, you're okay little one. We won't hurt you." She laid down in front of him. "He's so cute. I see moonlight in his head, the moon must have been the first thing he saw."

"I should wake my parents up," Re said. Aurora looked sad.

"I don't think they'll like him," she said. "You know how superstitious they are."

"They're going to find out anyway," Re pointed out. "They can't throw him out, it's against Draconian law. I think he'll be okay, as long as we keep an eye on him." He then turned to the large bed. "Mom, Dad, the egg hatched." The two adult dragons woke up and yawned. Idriss was the first to spot the hatchling. Her eye narrowed.

"What is that?" She asked, wrinkling her snout.

"That doesn't look like any dragon I've ever seen," Jack said. He got off the bed and approached the hatchling, who moved closer to Aurora. Jack wedged his talons into the dragonet's mouth and forced his jaws open. "This thing doesn't even have any teeth." The hatchling tried to wiggle free, but Jack forced him to stay still.

"Are we still keeping him?" Re asked. "I've always wanted a brother. It'll also be nice to have another male." Jack sniffed and put his talons down.

"We'll keep it, until we find a home for it," said Idriss. "We have no idea what this thing is, or where it came from. So be careful." Aurora looked down the hatchling.

"What should we name him?" She wondered allowed. Jack merely turned around and got back onto the bed.

"I don't care what we call it," he said. "I'm too tired." He laid his head down and went back to sleep. Idriss kept her eyes open, watching the hatchling as though he were pray. Re thought for a moment.

"How about Crow?" He said. "Or Magpie."

"What about Speedy, it's a cute name," said Aurora. "Or Jade."

"That's a girl's name," said Re. He looked down at the hatchling, who was looking at the moon again. "He seems to really like the moon. We could call him Night."

"That's a good one," said Aurora. Suddenly clouds blocked the moon and the world went dark. The hatchling cried out, as though calling the moon back. He searched wildly for it.

"It's okay," Re assured him. "It'll come back in minuet." The clouds moved away and the moon came out again. The hatchling quieted down. "Maybe he think the moon is his mother."

"But the moon isn't even alive," said Aurora. "It's sad that he has no mother or father."

"You think Alto will like him?" Re asked.

"Maybe," said Aurora. "She likes babies." She thought for a moment. "Re, what's the male equivalent of an alto in a choir?"

"Base, tenor?" Re said, sounding unsure. Aurora smiled.

"That would be a good name, Tenor," she said. "It has to do with music."

"But we don't know if he sings tenor," Re pointed out.

"Well, Alto sings soprano," said Aurora. "What do you think?" Re sighed.

"It is different, certainly easy to remember, what do you think Mom?" He looked over at Idriss who was still watching them.

"I don't care," she said. "Kind of weird he keeps staring at the moon."

"Well then that's what we'll call you, Tenor," said Aurora, the hatchling looked at her. He smiled. He seemed to understand.

"It's late guys, go to back to sleep," said Idriss.

"You can sleep with us Tenor," Re said. "There's room for you." Tenor chirped and slowly got to his feet. He was pretty tall, dispute his small figure, and very skinny. Aurora jump onto the smaller bed. Tenor approached it cautiously. Re crawled on beside Aurora.

"Your turn," said Aurora. Tenor hesitated, then managed to jump beside them. "Good job." Tenor looked to make sure he could still see the moon, then he curled up beside Re. Re and Aurora went back to sleep. Tenor yawned and laid his head down, closing his eyes. It grew quiet. Windwalker approached and looked closer at him. She compared this skinny dragonet to the ball of muscles he was today. This was her mate, before everything had happened to him. She knew he'd be okay in the end, but he had a long life of torment ahead of him.

The sene changed again, and it was morning. Re and Aurora were already up, but Tenor was still asleep. Aurora nudge him.

"Wake up Tenor, it's morning now," she said. Tenor stirred and opened his big eyes. He looked up at the sky, where the moon had been. He cried again when he saw the sun instead.

"Oh, don't worry Tenor, the moon will be back tonight," said Aurora. "We have plenty of things to do until then, to pass the time. Come on." Tenor got to his feet and jumped down.

"Lets go show Alto," said Re.

"I wonder if he can fly yet," said Aurora, looking at Tenor.

"Lets find out," said Re. He spread his wings and lifted off the ground. Aurora did the same.

"Come on Tenor, you try," she said. Tenor watched them then opened his wings. He mimicked them and jumped off the ground. However, he fell back down. He got up and tried again, only to fall again.

"I guess he can't fly yet," said Re. He and Aurora landed. Tenor slumped, looking disappointed.

"Don't worry Tenor, you'll fly soon," said Aurora. "We'll give you a ride to the lawn." She laid down and boosted Tenor onto her back. When he was secure, she stood up again. Re flew out the window, and Aurora followed, wincing when Tenor dug his little claws into her shoulder. Windwalker followed them all the way down to the lawn.

They landed in front of the doors. Tenor jumped down onto the grass. He looked down at the grass and sniffed it. He chirped happily.

"You like the grass?" Re asked. Tenor nodded and then took off running through the grass. Re and Aurora watched him prance around. Just then Alto came outside and joined them.

"Hey Alto, the egg hatched last night," said Aurora.

"Really?" Alto asked. She looked over at Tenor and frowned. "That's what came out of the egg?"

"Yeah," said Re happily. "Tenor, come back here!" Tenor stopped running about and trotted back over to them. He saw Alto and went into a playful crouch.

"Tenor this is Alto," said Aurora. Alto sniffed.

"That is the weirdest dragon I've ever seen," she said. Tenor bounced all around her. "And you call him Tenor?"

"Yeah," said Re.

"Isn't he cute," Aurora cooed.

"I suppose," said Alto. Suddenly Tenor sneezed and shot a small plasma blast at them. It hit the ground at their feet, and exploded.

"Whoa!" They all cried.

"That some serious firepower," said Re.

"That could easily kill someone," said Alto. "We'll have to be careful."

"Agreed," said Aurora. "Well, lets go find some food. I bet Tenor's really hungry."

"We'll have to walk since Tenor can't fly yet," said Re. Alto looked slightly irritated at this, but said nothing.

The scene changed again, to the sea shore. The dragonets were there with plenty of other dragons. They were all here to get fish. There was a small group of dragonets playing in the shallows while their parents came went to get them food. Jack and Idriss were among them. Re turned to Tenor.

"You stay here, we'll bring you something from the ocean," he said. Tenor nodded sadly. Re, Aurora, and Alto took off and joined the other dragons heading out to sea. Tenor looked around and his attention was drawn to the dragonets in the water. He walked over to them. They paused their playing as he approached. They came closer to him.

"What is that?" Asked a young sea green female.

"A dragon I think," said a black and white male. "Though it doesn't look like any dragon I've ever seen." An orange female walked behind him, making sure Tenor didn't escape. She poked him with her snout. Tenor tried to back away, but found himself surrounded. The other dragonets closed in around him.

"Where did he come from?" Asked a coral pink female. "Do you think it's safe?"

"There's more of us and less of him," said the green dragonet. She too began poking Tenor with her snout. He growled, flashing his toothless mouth.

"This one has no teeth," said the orange dragonet. Tenor tried to run for it but kept getting blocked by the dragonets.

"He's trying to escape," said the black and white dragonet. "Don't let him get away." Tenor tried to run in a different direction, but the pink dragonet pounced on him and pinned him down. Tenor wiggled with all his might, and cried out for help. The green dragonet kept poking him. Tenor wiggled harder, and accidentally slapped the green dragon with his tail. She roared in surprise and jumped back. The pink dragon pinned his tail down. Suddenly a red adult female dragon flew over head. She spotted the commotion and landed nearby.

"What's going on Shakira?" She asked the pink dragonet.

"This strange little dragon came up to us," said Shakira. The adult came closer.

"Let me see," she ordered. "Get off him."

"Yes Mother," said Shakira. She got off and clamped her jaws around Tenor's neck. She pulled him to his feet and tossed him towards the adult. He hit the ground hard. Whimpering and coughing, Tenor got to his feet. The adult looked down at him, shocked.

"Hmm, he certainly is strange," she said. Tenor looked up at her, scared. Shaking, he turned and galloped up the beach as fast as he could. Windwalker spread her wings and followed him from the air.

"After it," the adult dragon ordered. She and the other dragonets ran after Tenor. He ran for his life. He looked around franticly for a place to hide. He spotted a large cave and picked up speed. His pursuers were left in his dust. He quickly sped into the cave and went right to the back where it was dark. He hid behind a rock and covered himself with his wings. Windwalker could see him shaking. His perusers arrived at the cave entrance.

"Where'd he go?" The adult snarled.

"He's in there, I saw him go in," said the green dragonet. "We'll wait until he comes out."

"I'll flesh him out," said Shakira. She ran into the cave and sniffed around. She soon found Tenor. She bit him on the tail, and that made him bolt. He ran towards the entrance. He saw the other dragons ahead of him and tried to stop, but Shakira bit his tail again to keep him moving. The other dragons circled around him, keeping him trapped. He tried to escape but had no luck. Then he looked towards the sky.

"Now that we have him trapped, what do we do with him?" The orange dragon asked. "Kill him?"

"No, we try to figure out what it is," said Shakira. "I think it's a demon, sent here to bring destruction to Draconia."

"So we should kill it," said the orange dragon. Suddenly there came a call from outside. They all looked and listened.

"Tenor!," someone called.

"Tenor, where'd you go?" Someone else called.

"That sounds like Re and Aurora," said the adult. Tenor let out a panicked cry as loud as he could make it. A moment later Re and Aurora flew into the cave and hovered over the group.

"What's going on guys?" Aurora asked, worried.

"We found this creature roaming around the beach," said Shakira. "It ran in here, but we chased it down." Aurora scowled.

"That's Tenor," said Re. "And he's with us." The circle of dragons looked down at Tenor, who was still shaking.

"Come Tenor, we got some fish for you," Aurora said. Tenor hesitated, then tried again to escape. The other dragons seemed reluctant to let him go. But they backed up and Tenor ran over to his friends. They landed and walked him out of the cave.

They went back to the beach where Re's parents and Alto were waiting. They were all eating a huge pile of fish. Tenor seemed to cheer up.

"What happened to him?" Alto asked.

"Some of the dragons on the beach chased him into a cave and wouldn't let him out," said Aurora.

"You saw this happen?" Jack asked.

"No," said Aurora. "But I could see it in their heads." Tenor hurried over to the fish and grabbed a big one. Unfortunately he couldn't eat it since he couldn't pull his teeth out yet and his throat was too small to swallow it whole. Alto stepped away from him and went back to eating her fish.

"I think the fish is too big for him," Re said.

"And he has no teeth," said Alto. "Eating going to be hard." Aurora grabbed a fish and began tearing it up into tiny pieces.

"I think we should put up flyers around the country, and see if we can't find someone else to talk this, whatever it is, into their house," Idriss said.

"No one's going to want this thing," Jack said. "We should just get it out of the country."

"We can't," said Idriss annoyed. "You remember what happened the last time we kicked a dragon out of the country. Draco suspended us from the throne for a year." Jack sighed.

"Maybe if you guys dropped your suppressions," Re suggested. "Tenor's not going to hurt anyone. He's just baby." Idriss looked down at him.

"Babies grow up," she said. "Who knows that Tenor will grow up to be." Re looked over at Tenor who was eating the little bits of fish that Aurora was giving him.

"Can't he stay in the castle?" Re asked. "We'll take care of him."

"You guys are way too young to raise a dragonet," said Idriss. "We'll find a more suitable family for him. I do not want that thing in my castle. He can stay until that happens."

"So don't get too attached Re," Jack said. "Once he's gone, you'll not see him again for a long time." Re looked sadly at the ground. His parents went back to their fish.

"I don't know about you Aurora," he said. "But when I'm king, these superstitions will go out the window. No one will be turned away because they're different."

"That's what Draconia was built for," said Aurora. "When I'm queen, I'm going to invite Tenor back to the castle so he has a good place to live."

"Well, I plan to fight these guys to keep him with us permanently," Re said. "Whoever put his egg on our doorstep clearly needs our help." Aurora smiled as she tossed Tenor the last little of fish. He burped and licked his lips.

"Lets go play in the park," Alto said, finishing her fish. "We can see if this one can play our games." She sneered down at Tenor.

"Good idea," said Re. He suddenly spotted the dragonets that had chased Tenor into the cave. "Let's go." He led the way off the beach.

"Where are you going Re?" Idriss asked.

"To the park," said Re.

"Okay," said Idriss. "Don't let that one out of your sight. I don't want him causing anyone trouble." She glared at Tenor.

"We will," said Aurora. "He'll be perfectly safe with us." They followed Re away from the sea.

The scene changed again. Windwalker was now standing in Bluregreen Park, where Avalon and her friends spent their days whenever they weren't on Berk. It was a wide open grassy area with rolling hills, tall trees, small pavilions, huge boulders, and a large duck pond. It was crowded with dragonets and their parents. Re, Aurora, Tenor, and Alto walked into it. Tenor looked around curiously.

"Stay close Tenor," said Aurora. "It's easy to get lost here." Tenor pranced up beside Re. The closest groups of dragonets noticed him.

"Hey Re, what's that thing?" Asked a sky blue male, pointing at Tenor.

"Hello Freefall, this is Tenor," Re said. Freefall looked at Tenor, confused.

"Is that a dragon?" Asked a midnight blue female, with a white stripe down her back.

"Yes," said Alto. "His egg showed up on the castle one night, we have no idea where he came from."

"But what kind of dragon is it?" A yellow orange male asked. "That is the strangest looking dragon in the world." He approached Tenor to get a better look.

"We're going to play tag if you guys want to join us," said Aurora. The other dragonets exchanged a glance.

"All right," said Freefall. "Not it!"

"Not it!" Cried all the other dragonets in unison. Tenor, unable to speak, said nothing.

"I guess the weird little dragon's it," said the dark blue dragon. "Does he know how to play yet?"

"No," said Re.

"Maybe he should watch for a little bit before he plays," said Aurora. "I'll be it." She went into a playful crouch. Then she pounced and chased the other dragonets who ran away laughing. Re led Tenor over to a boulder he could sit on, that unknown to them, was right next to where Windwalker was standing.

"You stay here," Re said. "And don't move." Tenor nodded and sat on his haunches. Re left and joined the game. Tenor watched with bright eyes. He squealed happily when Aurora tagged one of the other dragonets. He got all excited as the game excelled. He jumped up and down, flapping his wings, and pawing the ground. Windwalker smiled, Tenor could never stand still when he got excited. Suddenly he put his front foot on the edge of the boulder, he slipped and fell off. He hit the ground hard, back first. He lay there, stunned. The other dragonets were too into their game to notice. He rolled onto his side whimpering. Windwalker looked closer at him, he didn't appear to be hurt. She guessed he was probably winded.

"Get up Tenor, you didn't fall that far," she said, even though she knew he couldn't hear her. Tenor took several deep breaths and rolled again so his feet were under him. He slowly heaved himself to his feet, shaking. He shook himself and almost fell over again. He walked in circles until he was steady again. He then climbed back onto the boulder and laid down. "You were never a quitter. If you fell down you got back up again, even if there was no one to help you."

She remembered the Song War. Tenor never backed down from a fight, even if he was outnumbered. She remembered him saving her from the enemy, with his titan wing unlocked. He faced several bad guys all by himself, and he did it eagerly. He came to her aid, even after she herself had beaten him up and thrown him out.

Tenor watched the other dragonets play. Suddenly a pair of dragonets circled low over the boulder, they had spotted Tenor. They both looked identical, with blue grey scales and steel colored wings, spines, and horns. One had steel colored eyes, and one had cobalt blue eyes.

"Look what we have here Steel," said the one blue eyes. "What do you suppose that is?"

"I don't know Jewel," said Steel. "A dragon I think. Though I've never seen a dragon so black, except for Shark I guess." Windwalker recognized these two.

"Steel the blacksmith and Jewel the jeweler," she said. "I guess that's why no one's wearing a head plate right now." Steel swooped low over Tenor, making him duck. He chirped.

"Where did this one come from?" Jewel asked, looking around. "I don't see any other dragons like him."

"Orphaned dragons come to this country all the time," said Steel.

"True," said Jewel. "But I've never seen anything like this dragon, not in books, nowhere." Steel landed on the boulder next to Tenor.

"Where do you come from strange little dragon?" She asked. Windwalker tilted her head. Steel seemed to be nice to him. Tenor crooned in curiosity.

"Maybe we shouldn't get too close Sister," said Jewel. "We don't know anything about him." Tenor looked up at Steel and gave her a gummy grin.

"He doesn't look that dangerous," said Steel. "He doesn't even have teeth."

"But he will, when he's older," said Jewel. Tenor walked closer to Steel, and she backed up.

"Keep away little guy," she said. "You're cute, but I'm not that good with dragonets." Tenor paused and looked confused. Just then a copper red adult dragon flew over and landed near the boulder. Then a dark graphite grey dragon with silver wings and splashes of silver throughout the rest of their scales.

"Mother, Father," said Steel.

"What did you find Steel?" The copper red male asked, looking at Tenor.

"This strange little creature," said Jewel. Their mother narrowed her eyes at Tenor. She walked around the boulder, sniffing him.

"That is no dragon," she hissed. "It's probably a curse trying to take the shape of a dragon to fool us. I've heard stories of such curses, sent by the human gods to bring us to doom."

"There's no such thing," said Steel.

"Maybe not," said her mother. "But mark my words, no good will come from this creature."

"So what do you want to do Nickel?" The adult male asked. Nickel growled. Tenor pinned his tiny ears back.

"Don't let it get away," Nickel said. She roared and launched herself at Tenor. He turned and ran away. Nickel ran after him, snarling. The copper male and Jewel joined the chase. Steel just sat on the boulder, looking undecided. Windwalker watched as Tenor ran for his life again. Nickel snapped her jaws at his heels and he ran faster, calling for help. Soon he ran out of breath and slowed down. Nickel caught him and pinned him to the ground. Tenor wriggled desperately, and cried at the top of his lungs. Windwalker almost wanted to close her eyes, but kept them open. All the commotion had caught the attention of the other dragons and they started to gather. Tenor wriggled harder.

"You're not going anywhere vermin," Nickel spat. She dug her claws into his scales, drawing blood. Tenor screamed in pain and tried harder to get away. Then he stopped and went limp. Nickel waited. Tenor lay so still, his eyes unblinking. Nickel cautiously lifted her talons. When she lifted it far enough, Tenor quickly jumped to his feet and slipped towards a dense grove of trees before anyone could catch him. He hid in the shadow of the largest tree. He then spotted a large boulder with a cave cut into it. He ran into it and huddled down. Windwalker smirked.

"You played dead," she said. "You always seem to fool even me with that trick." She watched Tenor lick his wounds.

"He fooled me," said Nickel angrily. "You'll pay for that little freak." She huffed in ager, but spread her wings and took off. Her family followed. Re and Aurora came out of the crowd and approached the boulder. Aurora walked up to the cave and could barely make out Tenor's trembling form and frightened green eyes.

"We should get him home," Re said. "He'll be safer there." Aurora nodded.

"I hope your parents found him a good home," she said. "But we may all he has." Re sighed.

"I swear when I'm king, nothing like this will ever happen again," he said boldly. Aurora knelt down in front of the cave.

"Tenor, you can come out now," she said softly. Tenor didn't move and looked out at her with eyes full of fear. It made Aurora sad. "It's okay Tenor, we're not going to hurt you. We're your friends." Tenor still didn't move and backed farther into the cave.

"We're going home, where you'll be safe," Re said. Tenor tilted his head. "You're safe with us little brother." Aurora smiled. Tenor slowly came out into the light. Re smiled as well. Tenor came out all of the way, his tail between his legs. Aurora spotted the wounds on his shoulders and front legs.

"We'll have to keep him safe," Re said. "My parents will never accept him. And if they don't accept him, the rest of the dragons won't either."

"I'll work on my healing magic," said Aurora. "I'm sure I'll need it." Re nodded.

"Come on Tenor, let's go home," he said. "We'll teach you tag later." Aurora got to her feet. Tenor tried to follow suit, but he collapsed crying in pain.

"Oh," said Aurora sadly. "Hang on Tenor." She lowered her forehead to the ground so her horns were pointing towards Tenor. She carefully wedged her horns underneath him. She carefully lifted him up and put him on Re's shoulders.

"You okay up there Tenor?" Re asked. Tenor gave him a small smiled. "Hold on tight." Just then Alto joined them.

"Is he okay?" She asked.

"He's really shaking," Re said. "And he's hurt." Alto looked at Tenor sadly.

"You know if a home can't be found for him, we may have to put him out of his misery," said Alto.

"No, we can take care of him ourselves," said Aurora.

"But we're just dragonets," said Alto. "We can send him to your father Aurora, then he'll be at peace."

"No, we'll take care of him," Re said firmly. "Tenor has as much right to be here as all these other dragons, us included." Aurora nuzzled Tenor.

"He'll be okay with us," she said. "We'll teach him everything he needs to know, and love him like he is. He'll turn out just fine." Alto sighed.

"Okay, I'll do what I can," she said. They all spread their wings and flew back towards the castle.

Windwalker watched the next few days go by. Tenor soon learned to talk and fly. But those were the only good parts. Everyday he went out to the park with Re, Aurora, and Alto, he would be bullied by the other dragons. They always seemed to lure him away from his friends, just so they could stare at him and talk about him as though he wasn't alive. Tenor tried to defend himself or escape, but his every attempt was met with one of the dragons grabbing him and throwing him to the ground. They caused him a lot pain and injury. Once they even muzzled him so he couldn't call for help. Many of the dragons had picked up the king and queen's superstitions and were convinced that Tenor was a bad omen of destruction. The worst part for Windwalker, was that the king and queen themselves would always turn a blind eye whenever Re and Aurora told them about it.

They went to the park one day as normal. Re and Aurora planed to play games with just Tenor and Alto, so Tenor wouldn't end up on the grass shaking and bleeding.

"Let's play Hide 'n Hunt," Re said. "I bet Tenor would be great at that game."

"My scales do match the shadows," Tenor said, his green eyes watching the other dragons in the park anxiously.

"Don't worry Tenor, no one's going to hurt you today," Aurora promised. Tenor relaxed with a sigh. He yawned, and suddenly out came his shiny black teeth. The other three dragonets looked shocked.

"Black teeth?" Alto said, breathless.

"He must be a Blackfang," said Re. "Or part Blackfang."

"I don't look like a Blackfang," Tenor said. "I've been told I don't look like any dragon."

"Blackfangs are the only dragons that have black teeth," said Alto. Tenor carefully ran his talons over his teeth. "So I think I'd classify you as half Blackfang, half unknown." Then Tenor relaxed his jaws and his teeth slid back into his gums. "Oooh, retractable black teeth, very strange."

"I'm sure we'll find out what you are Tenor," said Aurora. "I'm sure there's at least one dragon out there that has retractable teeth."

"Until then, I'll stick with Alto's idea," Tenor said. "Can we get on with this game?"

"Absolutely," said Re. "You can be it first." Tenor smiled. He laid down on the ground and covered his eyes with his wings. He started counting and the other three ran off to hide. When Tenor finished counting he opened his eyes and got to his feet. He began looking for the others. However dragons instantly closed in around him.

"Did you guys hear what they were talking about?" Asked a peach colored female.

"This thing is part Blackfang," said a tawny male. "So not only is it freaky looking, but it's also venomous." The female narrowed her eyes.

"That could be very dangerous," she said.

"Well the king can't get rid of it," said the male. "It's against Draco's rules." The female snarled. Tenor spread his wings and took off as fast as he could.

"After it!" The male called. The two dragons took off, and they were followed by more dragons. Tenor called to his friends for help. But before they could come to his aid, the tawny male caught up to him and sent shot fire at him. The flames engulfed him and he roared in pain. He fell from the air and crashed into the pond. All the dragons swarmed over the water like a vultures. Re, Aurora, and Alto came out of their hiding places. They spotted the commotion and flew over. Tenor was floating on the water, as though he were dead. Aurora dove through the crowd and snatched Tenor up in her talons. She headed for a grove of trees, Re and Alto followed. They landed and Aurora spread Tenor on the grass. He was unconscious and covered in burns. Aurora breathed a warm breath over him, and the burns vanished. Tenor opened his eyes and sat up.

"What happened?" Re asked.

"I was looking for you guys, and these two dragons showed up," Tenor said weakly. "They were harassing me. I tried to fly away but they chased me." Aurora looked at Re.

"No more trips to the park I think," she said. Re nodded.

"We can play in our front yard for a while," he said.

"But you guys love the park," said Tenor. "You shouldn't stop going to your favorite place because of me." Aurora smiled at him.

"Or we can show him the rest of the country, now that he can fly," said Alto.

"Good idea," said Re. "I'll ask my parents when we get back."

"Are you okay now Tenor?" Aurora asked. Tenor took several deep breaths.

"Yeah I'm okay," he said. "Thank you."

"Let's go home," Re said. "We can play this game in our yard." They got to their feet and headed back towards the castle.

Windwalker watched them play in the castle's front yard. Tenor was very good at the game, which seemed to annoy Alto. When Jack and his team returned from finding Tenor a foster home, Re asked them if they could take Tenor on a country tour. Jack and Idriss considered.

"I suppose we could," said Idriss with a sigh. "It might help us find him a home." Re beamed.

"Great, can we head out tomorrow?" He asked.

"Tomorrow?" Jack sounded surprised.

"It'll get this piece of trouble out of our castle faster," Idriss pointed out.

"True," said Jack. "All right, we'll head out tomorrow." Tenor looked sad.

"Why do you want to get rid of me so fast?" He asked.

"We have enough dragonets to take care of," Idriss said. "And we have to do it in addition to running this country. You're just a head ache waiting to happen." She narrowed her eyes. "Now let's get inside and get something to eat." Tenor swallowed.

"We found out that Tenor's part Blackfang," said Alto, as she went of to sit next to her mother. The adult dragons looked at Tenor again. He opened his mouth and popped out his black teeth.

"Retractable black teeth," said Pepper, lowering her head to Tenor's level. "That is so unusual. I've never even heard of that."

"He's part Blackfang, part unknown," said Alto.

"Hmm," said Jack. "That scares me." Tenor closed his mouth and stepped closer to Aurora.

"Now lets get inside," said Idriss. She headed into the entrance hall, and the others followed.

The next few days Windwalker watched them fly across the country. They visited the other cities and Tenor saw the cities and the landscape. He seemed happy flying with his friends, and no one bothered him. However, when they reached a town or city the dragons would stare and harass him. They did not trust him the moment they saw him. When they stopped for the night, Tenor would stare up at the moon. It seemed to bring him comfort. Then when the sun came up the group would go meet new dragons in the closest town, and the tormenting continued. All the dragonets would chase him and pin him down. He tried to fight back but was always outnumbered. And when he did fight, the dragonets would tell their parents who would tell Jack and Idriss. The king and queen took it as Tenor causing trouble. The adult dragons would shoo him away if he got too close. They all called him names and wanted him out of their towns. So they would move on to the next place.

Then the group stopped at the western shore. They settled down on the sea cliffs for the night. West Harbor City was in the distance. Tenor laid down beside Re and Aurora. He looked up at the sky, waiting for the stars and moon to come out.

"What are we going to do with this little thing?" Idriss asked. "Everywhere we go he causes trouble, and they want him out."

"We can all take care of him," said Aurora. "All we have to do is to teach him to hunt and teach him to fight. He can do the rest himself. He's a fast learner." Jack sighed.

"If we can't find him a foster home, then yes we'll do that," he said. "But I'm not giving up." Tenor seemed to zone out as the sky darkened.

"We want him to live somewhere he'll be safe from all this harassment," said Re. "No one will leave him alone about the way he looks."

"Well look at him," said Idriss. "Have you ever seen a dragon like that, anywhere?"

"No," Re admitted.

"And you have no idea what he is or where he came from?" Jack asked him.

'No," Re admitted again.

"Have you ever heard of that happening?" Pepper asked. Re shook his head.

"You can't blame the dragons here for staring at him with suspicion," said Idriss. "A dragon like this has never been seen or heard of. We don't know anything about him, so we can't trust him."

"Well I like him," Aurora said strongly. "I don't care how strange he is." Idriss narrowed her eyes.

"Someday we'll find out what he is and where he came from," said Alto.

"Tenor could grow up into an amazing dragon," Re said. Tenor got to his feet and stretched his wings.

"I'm going for a walk," he said. "I want to watch the stars come out."

"Don't go too far," Re said. "Stay where we can hear you, incase something bad happens." Tenor nodded. He turned and left the group. He walked right by Windwalker, and along the edge of the cliff.

The sky went completely dark and the stars came out. Tenor laid down in the grass and let the darkness close in on him. He looked up at the stars, and Windwalker saw them reflected in his huge green eyes. He smiled quite warmly. The stars twinkled down at him. It was a new moon, but he didn't seem to mind. Windwalker knew the stars made him just as happy as the moon did. Tenor got to his feet and went right to the edge of the cliff. It was very quiet. Suddenly Tenor heard someone approaching him from behind. He turned and saw a group of older dragonets approaching him. He tensed.

"There's the freaky little creature," said a sage green male. "I heard it was close to our city."

"It looks so creepy," said a dark red and white female. "Those eyes will give me nightmares."

"I can fix that," said a sky blue female. She snarled and lunged at Tenor. He dodged, but ran right into a large lavender purple male. He clamped his jaws around Tenor's throat and clamped down hard. Tenor choked and struggled. The large male then flung him a good couple feet. Tenor hit the ground, crumpled up. There was a huge bite mark around his throat that was bleeding pretty badly. The other dragonets bit and scratched at him. He crawled towards the edge of the cliff.

"Where do you think you're going little freak?" The green male snarled.

"He wants to go over the edge of the cliff," said the blue female. "We'll help with that." She clamped her jaws hard around his tail and pulled him towards the cliff. She then threw him over, and towards the ocean below. Windwalker took off and watched him fall towards the water. He caught himself with his wings and soared up into the night sky. His flying was shaky, due to his wounds. He turned and flew towards where the group was. Windwalker landed on the cliff and watched Tenor struggle to stay airborne. He reached the edge of the cliff and crashed onto the grass. He stayed down gasping for air. Re and Aurora were woken up and saw him on the ground.

"Oh no!" Aurora cried. She rushed to Tenor's side and Re followed. "He's bleeding real bad." She used her magic to heal him up. Tenor opened his eyes and relaxed.

"Thank you," he said weakly. Aurora smiled at him.

"Can you get up?" She asked. Tenor rolled so his legs were under him, then pulled himself up.

"Your magic is getting stronger isn't it?" He asked.

"Yes, thankfully," said Aurora. Tenor looked back up at the stars.

"I want to go back out there," he said. "I like flying among the stars."

"You want us to go with you?" Re asked. Tenor considered.

"Only if you want to," he said. He spread his wings and took off. He melted into the night sky. Windwalker followed him. He flew as high as he could, then just glided over the ocean. He looked up at the stars.

Windwalker watched him fly under the stars for hours. He looked so happy and free. He had no problem finding his way. He suddenly spotted fish in the water bellow. He dove towards the water, filling the sky with a loud whistle. He shot over the water with his talons out, and caught himself a fish. He flew it back to the cliff, then went out and caught more fish. Re and Aurora had already gone back to sleep.

He stayed out all night. He caught all the fish he could. When the sun came up he landed back on the cliff, next to a mountain of fish. He started eating them. The other dragons woke up, and spotted the fish.

"Tenor, where did you get all that fish?" Alto asked.

"From the ocean," said Tenor with his mouth full.

"You taught yourself how to fish?" Re said. Tenor nodded. "How did you even know where the fish was, it must have been pitch black."

"I saw the fish just fine," said Tenor. "I could hear and smell them too."

"You can see in the dark?" Alto asked. Tenor nodded again. He picked up a fish and tossed it to Aurora. He then tossed a fish to Alto and Re.

"Thanks," they said. They all ate the fish Tenor caught, until the adults woke up. They too were surprised to see all the fish.

"Did you guys go fishing this morning?" Idriss asked.

"No, Tenor got all this last night," Aurora said. The adults all looked at Tenor.

"He can fish already?" Jack asked. He glared. "Are you keeping secrets from us little creature?" Tenor looked scared.

"I can see in the dark," he said timidly. He picked up a fish and walked up to the king and queen. "You can have some." Jack narrowed his eyes.

"We can catch our own thanks," said Idriss. She took off and headed over the ocean. The other adults followed her. The dragonets stayed on the cliff and ate all the fish.

"We're going to Apple Grove today," said Aurora. "It's surrounded by beautiful mountains and forests." Tenor looked sad.

"You can explore the woods," Re told him. "It'll be harder for anyone to attack you."

"It's less crowded than the town anyway," said Alto. "The apples have all been harvested already." Tenor sighed and ate the last of the fish. They sat and waited for their parents to return.

Windwalker followed them to the town of Apple Grove. They flew over the mountains, Dragon Claw Canyon, and then the massive golden apple tree forest. Tenor was very impressed with the size of the trees. He flew low over them. There were no apples on them, Windwalker suspected the dragons in the near by cities had harvested them like Alto had said. They did the same thing every year.

They soon landed in the town of Apple Grove. It looked smaller then it did in the modern day. It was made up of large cabins that dwarfed the viking houses on Berk. An enormous glass building in the shape of an apple sat in the very center of the town. The dragons of Apple Grove came out to greet the king and queen. When they saw Tenor, they paused and whispered among themselves. Tenor looked in the direction of the forest. His quick eyes spotted something moving in the shadows. He perked his ears up. While the other dragons talked, he snuck away towards the trees. He spotted the thing dart from one tree to another. He slowly approached the tree. Windwalker walked around the tree and spotted a tiny dragonet huddled next to the tree trunk. Windwalker thought it was a Gronkle at first, then it moved. It looked like a Whippertail dragonet. It was dirt brown with sapphire blue eyes. It didn't have horns just little nubs. It's wings were smaller then a baby Gronkle's and a little fuzzy.

Tenor was about to come around the tree when another dragonet came up behind him.

"Hey who are you?" He barked. Tenor turned to face him. The dragonet was orange with scarlet red diamonds down his back, neck, and tail, as well as red wings and horns.

"Ruby," said Windwalker. She remembered him, from when she and Chris lured him to an island so a Changewing, Hael, could try to kill his mate. She still felt so bad for him. His good, kind nature had almost cost him his life and the life of his family.

"I thought I saw something back here," Tenor said.

"It's just Harmony," Ruby said. "She's a little shy, especially around strangers." Windwalker looked back at the little dragonet again.

"Harmony?" She said. She pictured this dragonet growing up into the beautiful white dragon with feathery wings.

"Why is she hiding?" Tenor asked.

"She's a runt," said Ruby. "Her parents have cave back in there." Tenor looked back into the woods. "The dragons of this town are pretty hostile towards strange dragons."

"Are you?" Tenor asked.

"No," said Ruby. "I have more of an open mind about those who are different." Harmony peaked out from behind the tree. She spotted Ruby and smiled. Then she saw Tenor.

"Hi Harmony," Tenor said. "I feel you, I look different too."

"You?" Ruby said, interested. Tenor nodded.

"No one likes me either," he said. "Except for Re, Aurora, and Alto." He came out of the trees, into the sunlight. Ruby looked him up and down.

"Well, you do look strange," he said. "But you look kind of cool." Tenor tilted his head.

"So you're not going to chase me and rip me up?" He asked.

"No," said Ruby. "You're okay."

Just then Aurora approached them. Re and Alto were catching up with other dragonets.

"Hey Ruby," said Aurora.

"Hello Princess," said Ruby, bowing humbly.

"I see you've met Tenor," said Aurora.

"Yeah," said Ruby. "It's sad that dragons like him and Harmony have to live in fear because of the king and queen's superstitions."

"I agree," said Aurora. "Re and I will make it better." Ruby smiled. "Thanks for being so nice Ruby, to these dragons."

"It's made unpopular around here," Ruby said. "But I have nothing to loose. So you're welcome."

"Who knows, maybe a dragon as crazy as you might one day bring home a human," Aurora teased. Ruby narrowed his eyes.

"Humans are illegal," he said.

"I know, I was kidding," said Aurora. Ruby shrugged. "How is Harmony by the way?"

"She never leaves the forest," said Ruby. "But she seems to be growing just fine."

"But she still can't fly," said Aurora. Ruby shook his head. "That's a shame." Tenor looked over to the tree where Harmony was hiding.

"Can I meet her?" He asked. Ruby followed his gaze.

"Maybe later," he said. "She's really shy. She doesn't trust anyone, you understand." Tenor nodded. "Why don't we show you around the town instead."

They wandered all through the town. Re and Alto joined them. They met Ruby's two older siblings, Emerald and Amber. They weren't as friendly towards Tenor as Ruby was, but they didn't attack him. They joined the small group as they explored the forest. Tenor ran and pranced through the forest, happy to be out of the crowd. He walked a little ways from the group. He suddenly spotted a large stag in a clearing up ahead. It was grazing casually. Tenor snuck closer, very quietly. He crept to the edge of the clearing, and lowered himself into a crouch. He held his breath, watching the stag. Then he pounced on the stag and dug his little claws into its skin. The stag thrashed wildly, but Tenor held on tightly. He quickly sank his black teeth into its flesh. The animal fell and died instantly. Tenor sat on top of his kill triumphantly. Suddenly a large turquoise dragon stepped out of the trees, looking furious.

"How dare you," she hissed. "That stag was on our property, no one hunts game on our property without our permission."

"I'm sorry I didn't know," Tenor said. The adult snarled and pounced at him. He dodged and tried to run back towards the woods. The adult took off and managed to snatch him in her talons. She flew off and headed back towards the town.

The scene changed and Windwalker found herself back in the town. The turquoise dragon circled above, Tenor struggling in her talons. She spotted the king and queen socializing with other adult dragons. She then dove down and threw Tenor as hard as she could towards the ground near them. Tenor hit the ground and coiled in pain. The female landed.

"Your majesties," she said, furiously. "I found this trespasser taking down a deer in our hunting grounds." Jack and Idriss exchanged an annoyed glance.

"I've heard of this creature," said a lime green and yellow male. "It's been causing problems all over the country." Tenor got to his feet, clearly in pain

"What do you plan to do with it your majesties?" The turquoise female asked.

"I'd like nothing more than to get rid of it," Jack said. "But Lord Draco would suspend us again if we do."

"We'll put him in the dungeons for a while when we get back," said Idriss. Tenor looked terrified. Re and his team arrived in town and landed next to Tenor.

"What happened?" Aurora asked.

"They're throwing me into the dungeons," Tenor said his voice shaking. Aurora let him lean on her.

"What, no," Re protested. "He hasn't done anything wrong."

"I've had several witnesses tell me he's attacked my dragonets," said Jack. "I'm tired of all this trouble, I will have no more of it."

"How long will he be in the dungeons?" Aurora asked.

"I haven't decided yet," Jack answered.

"I say let him rot there," said the green and yellow dragon.

"We can't," said Idriss. "Re and Aurora have become fond of the little creature, and they'll find a way to get him out. We'll keep him there for a few weeks." Tenor whimpered in pain and fear. Aurora put her wing around him.

"Don't worry," she whispered. "The dungeons are horrible, but at least you'll be safe. And we'll visit you a lot." Tenor took several shaky breaths.

"I trust you Aurora," he said.

"Are you hurt?" She asked.

"No, just weak," Tenor said. "When will all of this end?"

"It will end when I'm queen and Re's king," Aurora said. "I promise."

Windwalker watched Tenor beind flown back to the castle by the king and queen. When they got back home Tenor was flown right to the dungeons, far beneath castle. He was handed over to the Sharkfang dragons who were in charge of the dungeons. They swam in an underground lake that leaked out to the ocean. The warden, a Sharkfang named Fin, put Tenor onto a pedestal and another Sharkfang pulled a leaver that lowered the large dome down onto the pedestal, trapping him inside.

Tenor was left there for a long time. The king and queen all but forgot about him. Re, Aurora, and Alto visited him every night, bringing him food. It kept Tenor from going mad. The Sharkfangs were really cruel to him when his friends weren't there. They would pull him off his pedestal and into the water. They bit and scratched him. They would also launch him into the air with their tails and let him splash back into the water. Tenor suffered so many injuries that he could barely open his eyes. When his friends visited, Aurora used her magic to heal him and bring him relief. Every time they came, Re and Aurora would always promise him that it would all be over when they were crowned.

Windwalker sat back and watched Tenor's life continued. He grew bigger each year, along with his friends. The bullying and harassments got worse. Everyday Tenor would be lured away by dragons pretending they wanted to be his friends. But they would turn around and attack him. They bit, scratched, burned, whipped, and threw him until he was near death. Then they would leave him to die, in a pool of his own blood. Re and Aurora would always find him, and Aurora would use her magic to heal him. Windwalker found that one upside to it all, was that it seemed to improve his fighting skills. When dragons attacked him, he would be able to fight back and sustain fewer injuries. However whenever he caused any damage to his attackers, the dragons would tell the king and queen that Tenor had attacked them unprovoked. As a result Tenor was thrown back into the dungeons, to be abused and nearly killed by the Sharkfangs. Aurora's magic was the only reason he didn't die after each attack.

Dragons would be invited to play games with Re and his friends. Tenor would play as well, and if he won the games the dragons would lure him away and attack him out of anger. If he lost, they would attack him for being weak. Tenor often fought back, even though it alway landed him in the dungeons. Re and Aurora could do so little to help him, except cure his wounds and keep their promise. Tenor had only a few allies apart from Re and his friends. Ruby and Harmony liked him, and a blind dragon named Tamarin who couldn't see what he looked like acted friendly towards him. Her brother Jambu, who could see him, would chase him away from his sister. The black Whale Dragon, Shark, often visited Draconia. She grew very fond of Tenor and felt bad that he kept getting attacked or thrown into the dungeons. All these allies were positive that Re and Aurora would make the country a better place for dragons who looked different.

The older Tenor got, the more frequent and violent the attacks became. Dragons would enter the castle, kidnap him, and fly him out to the mountains. There they would rip him up with their claws or teeth. Re and Aurora always seemed to find him before he died. Aurora cured his wounds and they would sit with him until he was ready to fly back home.

Windwalker saw good things happen to him as well, however. With all the attacks that happened to him, Tenor's fighting skills got better. Re and Aurora sparred with him, and he quickly learned how to defeat them, and Alto. When he flew, Tenor soon learned that he was the fastest flyer in the country. His pray never knew what hit them. He grew smarter every year. He soon managed to escape all his attackers. He never killed any of them, but he did injure many. His firepower got stronger as well.

However, the attackers didn't give up. They were starting to fear him. With his fighting skills, firepower, speed, cleverness, and venom, everyone feared that he would destroy whole towns. The king and queen feared him as well. They would throw him into the dungeons for longer, at the slightest sign of trouble. The groups of dragons that attacked him got bigger, which made it harder for him to escape. They would send a beautiful female to befriend him. The female would ask to take a walk alone with him. Then when they were alone, she would lead him right into an ambush. Groups of dragons of up to twenty, would come out of no where and attack.

They got more convincing each time. Tenor watched Re and Aurora fall further in love each year, and it mad him so sad that every female he met would trick him and try to kill him. Tenor began his fruitless search for a mate. Though Alto never attacked him, she didn't like him enough to be his mate. Tenor asked every female in the country, and they not only turned him down but would lead groups of dragons to attack him. Whenever Re and Aurora would lead huge fishing and hunting expeditions, Tenor would catch more food then the other dragons with his superior hunting skills. The other dragons would get furious about it. They would attack him and steal his food. It drove him to only hunt and fish at night. Windwalker watched him be driven further into the shadows, where he felt safe.

The only thing that gave Tenor any hope, was that Re and Aurora's coronation was drawing closer. He was just as excited as they were. They were already talking about the changes they'd make. Re talked about assigning a town leader for each city, and having Tenor be in charge of the town leaders.

In addition to all that, Re and his friends started studying the items that interested them. Re started reading about volcanoes, Aurora studied magical artifacts, Tenor studied astronomy, and Alto became interested in weather. Tenor soon learned to read the stars. He used these skill to navigate across the ocean, or across the country to find food. They often shared their findings with other dragons in the country. They were all interested in hearing about fire breathing mountains from Re, or about magical items from Aurora, or weather phenomenon from Alto. But poor Tenor was often teased when he brought up the things he learned about the stars. They also got offended when he brought up constellations that weren't Draco. They all called him a stargazing loser. So Tenor never talked about astronomy again, except with Re, Aurora, and Alto.

The attacks kept happening, and kept getting worse. Dragons attacked him, and argued that they were doing it so he couldn't them. Re and Aurora still couldn't do much to help him, they had no power to punish those who were hurting him. Tenor hid in the shadows so no one could see him. But he was lured out by a dragon who pretended to act friendly and curious. The minuet he stepped out, the dragon would turn and run out of fear. They would alert more dragons, who would chase Tenor away. He would either fly away and get hunted down, or fight back and be reported to the king and queen and end up in the dungeons. Tenor had no escape, except at night. Every time Windwalker thought the attacks would cease, they escalated.

Dragons started telling him to kill himself. Tenor was so torn down, that he actually considered it. That scared Windwalker. Killing himself was the last thing she wanted him to do. She remembered getting so mad him that she attacked him, even threatening to kill him. She wondered what had gone through his head when it happened. Had he been so upset with himself that he would end his life? It made her more grateful that he was alive and happy now. Every time he was told to kill himself, Re and Aurora would talk him out of it by repeating their promise to him. It was enough to keep him from ending his life.

When the dragons found out that he was still alive, they would attack him for disobeying them. They would steal valuable items from the king and queen, and give them to Tenor. He would take the items and return them to the king and queen. However, they would think that he stole them and throw him in the dungeons, for months this time.

Tenor kept up his search for a mate. Though his hopes dwindled each time. He returned to Apple Grove and asked Harmony, who was now her beautiful white self. She took pity on him, but still told him no. She said she had her heart set on Ruby, who was no where to be seen.

"He was driven out of the country by the other dragons here," she said sadly. "But I pray to Lord Draco everyday that he will come back to me." She smiled at him. "I am sorry Tenor. You're a very nice dragon, and I do like you. Just not that way." Tenor sighed.

"Very well," he said. "Thanks for talking." He turned and flew away.

Tenor was quickly running out of options. All the other dragons his age had found a mate by now, even Alto had her eye on a dragon that lived on the southern shore. Then he decided to try asking Aurora. He spent a whole night out at sea, and came back with the biggest octopus Windwalker had ever seen, as well as a nasty shark bite on his back leg. He landed and entered the castle. He looked for Aurora and found her in a hallway, alone.

"Hey Aurora," he said. Aurora turned and smiled when she saw him.

"Hi Tenor," she said. "Wow, where did you get that octopus?"

"I traveled far across the ocean to get it," Tenor said. "I know octopus is your favorite." Aurora looked curious.

"Why did you decide to get that for me?" She asked. Tenor took a deep breath.

"I was hoping you'd be my mate," he said. "You've been so kind to me through all of this." He clamped the octopus in his jaws and held it out to her. Aurora's face fell and she frowned.

"Oh Tenor, you have no idea how much it pains me to say this," she said sadly. "I'm afraid I can't. I'm destained for Re. I'm truly sorry." Tenor looked heartbroken and lowered his head, still holding the octopus.

"Oh, I figured you'd say that," he said. "I just don't know what else to do."

"There's someone out there for you Tenor," said Aurora. "I know there is." Tenor said nothing, but turned and left with the octopus. Re happened to be passing by, and Tenor dropped the octopus at his feet without saying a word.

The scene changed and Windwalker now saw Tenor sitting on a hill that overlooked the lagoon. He was alone and looking very upset. Windwalker if another attack was about to happen. But then Aurora and Re approached the hill and landed next to him.

"I'm so sorry Tenor," said Aurora. "It was never my intention to hurt you, especially with everything that's happened to you."

"Why does your father hate me so much?" Tenor asked.

"He doesn't hate you," said Aurora, laying beside him. "He can't control the decisions dragons make. He never intended for your life to go this way."

"Then why won't he stop it?" Tenor asked.

"Why do you think we're able to find you before you die after an attack?" Re said. "Draco alerts Aurora whenever you're being attacked and tells us were you are. He makes sure we get there before you're killed." Tenor heaved a huge sigh.

"I just want it all to stop," he said.

"It will be over soon," said Aurora. "Our coronation is less then a year away." She sighed. "I am really sorry I had to turn you down Tenor. But I can assure you that Re and I will always be there for you. You might get attacked a lot between now and our coronation. It'll be hard, and painful. But we will alway be there to take your pain away, every time."

"You're part of our team," Re said. "It's important that you trust us. You can always rely on us. No matter how bad your attack gets, or how much pain you're in, you can rest assured that we'll be there soon to help you." Tenor took a deep breath.

"Thank you," he said. "I hope I'll be able to return the favor someday."

"No hurry," said Aurora. "You're at more risk right now then we are." Tenor laid his head down on his front talons. Aurora draped her wing over his shoulders.

"You want to head back to the castle?" Re asked.

"No, I like it here," Tenor said. "I want to stay here until nightfall."

"You going hunting again?" Aurora asked.

"It might help clear my head," Tenor said. "Being under the stars and moon."

"Well, we have to head back to the castle," Re said. "Steel wants to make our crowns and wants us to design them. She's become quite a good blacksmith."

"You should come with us," said Aurora. "I don't want you to be alone." Tenor considered. Just then Steel's sister, Jewel, landed next to them.

"Your majesties, Steel's waiting for you back at the castle," she said. "She's already going over a crown design with Alto."

"Thank you Jewel," said Aurora, getting to her feet. "You coming Tenor?" Tenor nodded and got up as well.

"Oh Tenor do you remember Shakira?" Jewel asked.

"Yes," said Tenor.

"She asked me to send you a message," said Jewel. "She has some questions about the night sky, and she was wondering if you could answer a few of her questions."

"Now?" Tenor asked.

"Yes," said Jewel.

"We should go with you," Re said.

"Ah, Steel isn't going to wait forever," said Jewel. "And she hates being canceled on." Re and Aurora looked nervous. "Nothing will happen to him your majesties, I'll accompany him myself for safety. You'll have him back later, nice and safe."

"Very well," said Aurora. "You going to be okay Tenor?"

"I think so," said Tenor. "I believe what you said." Aurora nuzzled his neck.

"We'll see you later then," she said. "Please be safe." She stepped back and stood next to Re. They took off and headed for the castle.

"Follow me," said Jewel. She took off and Tenor followed her. Windwalker had nasty feeling in her gut that something horrible was coming. She followed them and they headed away from the lagoon.

Jewel led Tenor to a beach near North Harbor City and the Dragon River Delta, the sun was setting already, turning the sky red. Jewel landed on a beach and Tenor landed next to her. Shakira was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Shakira?" Tenor asked, getting nervous.

"She'll be here," said Jewel. Tenor grew more nervous. All of a sudden Jewel attacked him from behind, pinning him to the ground.

"What are you doing?" Tenor asked.

"Guys I've got him," Jewel called, then looked down Tenor. "I think you know exactly what I'm doing." More dragons came out of hiding behind trees and boulders at the edge of the beach. In the lead was Shakira, the pink dragon that had first attacked Tenor on the beach when he was still a hatchling. She glared down at Tenor.

"I don't know why you're still alive," she said venomously. "But I don't like it."

"Let's get rid of him for good," said Jewel. "He's too powerful and dangerous for this country." The dragons surrounded Tenor, many of them were carrying huge logs and some were carrying buckets. Tenor tried to escape, but the dragons held him down. They suddenly broke all four of his legs, making Windwalker gasp. Tenor screamed but was then gagged with chains. His attackers broke more bones: His ribs, his wings, and the small bones in his tail fins. They slashed deep gashes all over his body. One dragon bit him on the neck in several places. Tenor choked, and coughed up a lot of blood. His snout was bound so tightly that he could cry for help. He slowly began to pass out.

"No," Windwalker cried. She wanted to stop it, but remembered that she couldn't. The attackers then pulled him into the shallow water, and splashed saltwater onto his wounds which made them burn. Tenor scrunched his face up and tired to get the gag off. Then the attackers pulled over the buckets and a large funnel. They ripped off the gag and stuffed the funnel down his throat. Shakira pinched his nose, and they dumped the contents of the bucked into Tenor's mouth. Windwalker identified the stuff from the smell. It was a mixture of ground up eel and dragonroot. There were at least four large buckets of it. Windwalker felt sick just watching it. The other attackers kept gashing holes in his body and wings.

After about an hour, they finally stopped. The buckets were all empty, and Tenor was completely mauled.

"That should take care of him," said Jewel nastily. "Lets go." She bashed one of the buckets into Tenor's head, before following the others back towards the distant city. The world grew quiet. Windwalker cautiously got closer. Tenor lay in the shallow water, just barely breathing. Suddenly his whole body shook violently. It got worse and worse, until he went into a full seizure. He let out high pitched cries, like a sea gull's cries. His eyes were wide and his pupils were slits. Windwalker looked in the direction of the castle, watching for Re and Aurora. There were other dragons flying by, but couldn't see Tenor in the dark.

Re, Aurora, and Alto finally found him. Tenor's seizure had slowed down, but he was still twitching uncontrollably. Aurora took one look at him and burst into tears.

"Who did this?" Re asked, horrified. He looked Tenor over, and was so shocked at how bad he looked. Tenor was laying in a pool of his own blood. Aurora calmed down enough to start healing his wounds with magic. Tenor slowly relaxed and his breathing returned to normal. Alto was so shocked that she hadn't moved.

"I may not like Tenor as much as you guys do," she said. "But this is too cruel. Is he going to be okay?"

"Physically he will," said Aurora, her voice shaky. "But I don't know what this did to him on the inside." Soon all his wounds were healed and all the blood was gone. However Tenor still didn't get up.

"Tenor, can you try to get up?" Re asked. Tenor opened his eyes.

"I think so," he wheezed. He moved his legs, wings, and tail to make sure they worked. He then slowly rolled so his feet were under him. He slowly tried to get on his feet. He looked so week and shaky. He soon found himself standing. Re let Tenor lean on him. "I don't feel good."

"What else did they do to you?" Aurora asked. Tenor took slow, deep breath.

"They, poisoned me," he whispered. "Four buckets for ground up eel and dragonroot." All three dragons gagged. Tenor suddenly collapsed and went into another violent seizure.

"Tenor!" Aurora cried. Re instantly jumped on top of him and held him down. Aurora let out a warm breath over Tenor, and his body relaxed.

"We have to get him back to the castle," Aurora said. "I have some medicine that will help." Re got off Tenor.

"Do you think you can walk?" He asked.

"I don't think so," Tenor panted. His limbs were still twitching from the dragonroot.

"We'll carry him," said Alto. She and Aurora helped get Tenor on to Re's back.

"You going to be okay?" Aurora asked.

"Yes," said Tenor. "I think I'll stay in the castle during the day and only come out at night to hunt." Aurora sighed.

"Of course," she said. "There's plenty of empty spaces in the castle you can stay in." Re spread his wings and took off carefully, Aurora and Alto followed.

Back at the castle Tenor was flown to a large room, that would one day be Serenity's room. Re laid him down on the floor. Aurora had gone to get the medicine. Tenor went into another seizure that lasted several minuets. Re held him down again. Aurora soon came with the medicine and got right to work. She gave Tenor the antidote for dragonroot, then the antidote for eel poisoning. It seemed to help him. He relaxed and the shaking slowed down.

"You'll be okay Tenor," said Aurora gently. "We can get a room made for you." Tenor lifted his head.

"I've always wanted my own planetarium and observatory," he said weakly.

"We'll see what we can do," Re said. "Until then you can stay in the vaults. No one goes down there and there's a secret way outside." Tenor nodded and laid his head back down.

Tenor improved over the next month. He kept having seizures, but they were getting weaker as the dragonroot left his system. Aurora continued to give him medicine and it made him better. Re brought him foot which helped Tenor regain his strength.

Tenor was back on his feet, seizure free, after a month had gone by. He moved down to the vaults. Re showed him the secret tunnel that led out to the lagoon. It was well hidden behind the vast mountains of treasure. Tenor stayed in there during the daytime, and slept on top of the treasure. He came out at night to catch fish, unless the weather was bad. He sometimes visited the main castle to spend time with his friends and help design his room and his crown. Steel was annoyed about Tenor's strangely shaped head. However she apologized for her sister's violent act. She agreed when Re and Aurora planed to put Jewel and Shakira into the dungeons when they were crowned.

Re and Aurora's coronation was soon right around the corner. Tenor was just as excited as everyone else. Re and Aurora insisted that he take one of the four thrones in the great hall, and he accepted. He took it as an opportunity to repay them. He asked Steel to put the moon and stars on his crown when she visited. Re, Aurora, and Alto also asked to have an insignia on their crowns. Re asked for the Draconian crest, Aurora asked for a snowflake, and Alto asked for a G cleft. This started the trend of having dragons with head plates and insignias. Jewel started the trend of wearing decoration such as: necklaces, bands around their legs, tails, and horns, earrings, rings, etc.

Because Tenor never when outside in the daytime, the country forgot about him. He only went out at night. He would fly across the country to find food. Oftentimes he would stay out so long that the sun came up before he could get back to the castle. He would have to find a safe place to hide and rest. The attacks subsided and Tenor felt safe for the first time in his life.

The coronation finally came and the whole country was was excited. The castle was decorated with green and blue. Portraits and other artwork of Lord Draco were put up. Re and Aurora were in their room waiting for the word that they were to head down to the great hall. Tenor and Alto soon joined them.

"Are you guys ready?" Re asked them.

"I am," Tenor said happily. "I hope I'll be a good Prime Minister."

"You'll be fine Tenor," Aurora assured him. "We'll all work together, help each other out. I can foresee it working."

"What happens after we're crowned?" Alto asked.

"I plan to make Aurora my mate, officially," said Re. Aurora batted her eyes and smiled at him.

"I plan to check out my knew room," Tenor said. "Maybe I'll build a big telescope, so I can see the moon and stars a little closer."

"Then, we'll have to go on a national tour," said Aurora. "Visit each town, and Tenor will select a town leader for each one."

"How does the rest of the country feel about this?" Alto asked.

"They're excited," said Re. "I've already heard dragons talking about who they will nominate. However, they aren't thrilled about having Tenor being in charge of the final selection."

"But we told them they have to be willing to work with Tenor, without attacking him," said Aurora. Alto shrugged.

"I'll only come out in the daytime when I accompany you guys across the country," Tenor said. "And remain in my room the rest of the time." Alto narrowed her eyes but said nothing.

"I already have a mating song," Re said. "It's a good one." Aurora smiled. Just then Pepper flew in and landed next to them.

"It's almost time guys," she said. "Are you ready?"

"We are," said Re. He and the others got to their feet. Pepper looked at Tenor.

"He's coming too?" She asked. "He never comes out in the daytime."

"Yes he's coming too," said Aurora firmly. "He's going to be on our team."

"And to be fair I'll still be in the castle," said Tenor. Pepper wrinkled her snout at him.

"All right," she said. "It's time to head down." She turned and flew off.

The scene changed and Windwalker found herself in a large crowd on the front lawn. They were all talking excitedly about getting a new king and queen. They suddenly looked up when Re and his team glided down towards the lawn. The crowd parted, creating a path to the front doors. The four dragons landed and walked towards entrance hall. The crowd cheered and flapped their wings in excitement. Windwalker joined them, walking beside Tenor. He looked at the crowd, fear in his eyes. The dragons closest to him, glared and gnashed their teeth. Windwalker was sure many of these dragons had attacked him when he was younger. However, no one attacked him this time.

They reached the front doors and entered the entrance hall. There were more dragons in there, eager to see the new king and queen. Tenor quickly spotted Jewel and Shakira. When they saw him, they hissed with fury. Tenor walked by as quickly as he could. He followed Re and Aurora into the great hall. There were more cheering dragons in here, and Tenor walked passed more of his attackers. They hissed at him and flexed their talons. Tenor was visibly shaking. He kept his eyes forward towards the thrones.

Jack, Idriss, Anna, and Pepper were standing on the platform, waiting for them. The four young dragons approached the platform. Jack addressed the crowd.

"My subjects and friends," he said loudly. "We are all gathered today to witness a historic event. My son Re will be crowned king, and he has chosen the daughter of our mighty god as his queen." He then turned to Re and Aurora. "Do you promise to rule our subjects with to the best of your abilities, with Lord Draco's wisdom to guide you?"

"We promise," Re and Aurora said as loud as they could. Jack and Idriss turned around and each took a crown off of their thrones. Jack held Re's gold crown with the Draconian crest on the forehead, and Idriss held Aurora's silver crown with a snowflake on the forehead.

"I hear by pronounce you King Re," Jack said as he place the crown on his son's head.

"And I pronounce you Queen Aurora," said Idriss. She placed the sliver crown on Aurora's head. With that Jack and Idriss quietly stepped down from the platform. Re and Aurora took their places. He picked up Tenor's crown from the throne behind Anna, and Aurora picked up Alto's crown from the throne behind Pepper. They then turned and faced the crowd.

"Our first decree is to pronounce Alto as Duchess, and Tenor as Prime Minister," Re said. He put the black crown with silver moon and stars on Tenor's head, as Aurora put the grey crown with the black G cleft on Alto's. Pepper stepped down from the platform and Alto took her place. Anna seemed reluctant to surrender her throne to Tenor. She glared at him and he glared right back. Anna eventually stepped off the platform and Tenor took her place. When they were all on the platform they crawled into their thrones as the crowd cheered. Re let out a triumphant roar, the other three joined in. The crowd all gave answering roars.

When the coronation was over, Re and Aurora told Tenor and Alto to put Jewel and Shakira into the dungeons along with any other dragons that had attacked Tenor when he was young. Windwalker suspected that it gave Tenor closure knowing that all of his attackers were finally being brought to justice. After that, Re and Aurora flew off to spend some time alone, Alto saw all the guests out, and Tenor went to his new planetarium and observatory. Jack and his team flew off to retire in Lost City.

The following weeks the four of them toured the country. Each city they visited, Tenor was given a list of nominees for town leader. He would look them over for one night, then name the town leader based on who got the most votes. Though many dragons still hiss and snapped their jaws at him, no one attacked him. The leaders Tenor picked didn't seem to mind having him in charge. Once a town leader had been selected, and the citizens congratulated their new king and queen, they would head to the next city. During the in between flights, Re talked about scouting any human settlements that could be nearby. He wanted to make sure none of them posed a threat to Draconia. Windwalker was excited to hear this, she knew that that's how they met Chris.

However the scouting didn't start until about a year and half into their reign. They wanted to make sure Draconia could keep itself afloat while they were scouting. They also asked Steel to make armor for all of them, since they suspected the humans would be hostile. Steel was again really annoyed about making armor for Tenor that was completely from scratch. When their armor was complete and they were assured that nothing would go wrong, they set out. They flew far from the country and scouted all the islands that had humans on them. They would circle the islands and looked for signs of a threat. They moved on when no threat was detected.

They scouted the islands for about a week. So far they found no threat to the country; however when the humans saw the dragons circling their island, they would fire their weapons at them. The armor did its job and the dragons would fly away unharmed.

They approached one of the last islands, and found the human village destroyed. This surprised them. They were about to turn and move on, when Tenor's ears twitched. He stopped and looked back at the village.

"Guys, I heard something," he said.

"Probably a scavenger," Re said.

"No, it sounded like something crying," Tenor said. They all stopped and listened. They heard a faint cry, that sounded more like a scream.

"Sounds like something in distress," said Alto. "We should go see what it is." They turned around and headed back towards the village. Windwaker followed them, her heart racing with excitement.

They landed among the destroyed buildings. There was not a soul in sight. The dragons looked around.

"What happened here?" Re wondered aloud.

"Humans do fight each other," said Alto. The cry came again, drawing their attention to a wrecked house. Aurora led the way into the pile of rubble. She soon spotted a basket in what was left of a fireplace. There was a lid on top of it and some debris covered it. The crying came loud and clear from inside. Aurora sat on her haunches and brushed the debris off the basket. She hesitated and removed the lid. A human baby lay crying inside. Aurora just stared at him. The baby looked about one year old and was wrapped in blankets. He was crying so hard he didn't see the dragon at first through his closed eyes. But he must have sensed her gaze because he stopped crying and looked at her.

"What did you find Aurora?" Tenor asked, snapping Aurora out of her trance. She shook herself and picked the basket by its handle. She turned and showed the baby to the other dragons. Windwalker went and stood beside Tenor. They all looked down at the baby, who looked right back at them.

"A human," said Alto. "So young." Tenor lowered his head to look at the baby closer.

"Someone just, left it here to die," he said, as though he understood.

"What do you want to do with him Aurora?" Re asked.

"I don't want to leave him here to starve to death," said Aurora. "It will drive me crazy. Lets see if one of the other villages will take him." Re looked skeptical, but shrugged it off. Aurora put the lid back on the basket, and picked it up. The dragons took off and left the village behind.

They tried every island they could find. But they couldn't get within a mile of the villages without being fired at by the humans. The dragons were forced to retreat and landed on a sea stack. Aurora put the basket down. She took the lid off, to find the baby asleep. He had somehow managed to sleep through all the flying and firing. Windwalker chuckled at this.

"You were always the heaviest sleeper I've ever met," she said. Aurora laid down beside the basket.

"What are we going to do now?" Alto asked. "The humans won't let us get close to their villages and this baby needs a home."

"We can take care of him," said Aurora. Re turned on her.

"Absolutely not," he said firmly. "We don't even know to raise a human."

"We can learn," said Aurora. "The library will have information we need, and I can always cheat with my magic." Re looked at Alto and Tenor.

"What do you guys think?" He asked. Alto looked down at the baby.

"I thought humans were illegal," she said.

"We're in charge now, we can change the law," said Aurora. "I don't think he'll be hostile to us, if we save his life." Alto considered.

"I suppose it could be fun," she said. Re looked at Tenor for his opinion. Tenor also looked down at the baby.

"Well, I'm no good with even baby dragons," he said. "So I won't be much help."

"That's okay Tenor," said Aurora.

"You still haven't given Aurora a mating gift," Tenor pointed out. "This could be perfect." Re sighed.

"All right Aurora," he said. "If you think you're up for the challenge, we'll bring him back with us." Aurora beamed.

"Thank you," she said happily. "I'm sure you'll all grow to like him too." She put the lid onto the basket. The other dragons took off, she picked up the basket and followed.

They took the baby back to their castle where Aurora tried to figure out how to feed him. Tenor watched her figure it out. She did use her magic to cheat. She also brainstormed with the other three about a name for the baby.

"We could give him a dragon name," said Alto. "Like, Blazer, or Cinder."

"Those are good," said Aurora.

"What about Sunfire," Tenor suggested. "Or Wildfire."

"But those are good names for dragons because dragons breath fire," Re said. "Humans can't do that. They can fly either so names like Falcon or Hawk won't really fit either." Aurora looked down at the baby in her front legs.

"Perhaps a human name then," she said. "I've read seen a few human names in the books I read. Some of them were really long ones though, like Alexandra or Emanuel or Thompson." She rolled her eyes. "Humans are just asking for their names to get misspelled."

"Where there any short names?" Alto asked.

"Yeah," said Aurora. "Many of them were girl names though like Lily, or Mary. The only male names I found were things like Joseph, or Chris."

"Joseph sounds interesting," said Tenor. "We can call him Jo for short."

"I really don't like the idea of calling someone a shorter version of their name," said Aurora. "It just tells me that the name is either too long or too complicated."

"Chris then, it's not too long for you is it?" Re said.

"No, it's a good human name," said Aurora. "I like that one." She looked down at the baby, who looked back up at her. "That'll be your name Chris."

Windwalker now got to watch Chris grow up. Tenor merely watched from the sidelines and occasionally interacted with the human. Re and Aurora showed him to the other dragons in the country. They were skeptical about having a human in their perfect dragon world. But Re and Aurora assured them Chris would not be raised into a dragon killer. They also told their subjects that they didn't have to like Chris, they were just not allowed to hurt him. The other dragons accepted this compromise. Chris on the other hand didn't seem afraid of the dragons at all. He seemed perfectly fine having them on all sides of him.

Chris got older through the years. The four dragons taught him to crawl, but then remembered that humans walked on two legs. It was tricky, but Chris soon learned to walk like a human. He would walk from dragon to dragon. Tenor got a bit nervous whenever Chris walked over to him, like he didn't know what to do. Chris once lost his balance and fell right onto Tenor's tail. Tenor hissed in pain.

"You okay Tenor?" Aurora asked, laughing.

"Yeah, this human is really bony," Tenor said.

"It's a perfect opportunity for you two to get to know each other," said Re. "You're family now." Tenor looked back down at Chris who looked back up at him. He gave him a toothless smile. Tenor blinked and lowered his head to Chris's level. Chris reached his little hand out and touched Tenor's snout. Tenor let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"There's no reason to be afraid of him Tenor," said Alto. "He can't possibly hurt you."

"I'm more afraid of me accidentally doing something to him," Tenor said. "Humans are so fragile." Alto shrugged. Chris then hugged Tenor's snout and held on tight. "Huh, this one has a pretty strong grip. But how to I get him off my nose?" Aurora smiled and carefully wrapped her tail around Chris. She pulled him off Tenor's nose and into her arms.

Chris then learned to speak. He was first taught dragontongue, and he mastered it pretty quick. He then learned human languages such as latin. He call Re Father, and Aurora Mother. Aurora purred with happiness when ever he said it. Re took a while to get used to his new title. Tenor took even longer to get used to the title of uncle. Alto was given the title of godmother, which she liked. Once everyone got used to their titles. The more Chris called Re and Aurora, Mother and Father, the more they saw him as their son, and Tenor saw him more as his nephew.

The only problem Chris had was that he had a hard time playing games with the dragonets in the park. When he was around five years old Re, Aurora, and Alto would take him to the park. Tenor never went because he still refused to go outside in the daytime. Alto was starting to get real annoyed with him for staying in his room all day. Tenor was always there waiting for all of them when they would return. Chris always looked sad.

They came home one rainy afternoon. Tenor was lounging in the great hall. They came in all wet. Chris was covered in mud, his shirt and pants were grass stained. Aurora had learned to make human clothing for him. Chris ran up the platform steps and crawled into his mother's throne.

"Still having trouble making friends?" Tenor asked.

"Well, he can make friends," said Re. "The dragonets just don't invite him to play their games, since he can't really play them."

"Hmmm, must be tough," Tenor said, with an edge in his voice.

"Are there no other humans in this country Mommy?" Chris asked sadly.

"No, there've never been humans here until now," said Aurora. "But don't worry, we'll figure something out." Alto turned to Tenor.

"Are you ever going to leave this castle Tenor?" She asked. "You lay around all day doing nothing."

"I come out at night time," Tenor pointed out. "I've become nocturnal. You know why I hide."

"Yes, but things are different now," said Alto. "You should come to the park with us. You're apart of this family, you should start acting like it." Tenor narrowed his eyes.

"Guys can we not argue in front of Chris," Aurora requested. Alto blinked slowly and silently slipped into her throne.

"We're on the thrones tomorrow," Re said.

"Can I play in the yard until you're done?" Chris asked. "Please?"

"If it's not raining," Re said.

"It won't rain tomorrow," said Aurora. "You may play in the yard, as long as you promise to stay inside the gate."

"I will," Chris promised. Aurora nuzzled him.

The scene changed to the next day. Windwalker was still sitting on the platform next to Tenor's throne. All four dragons were in their respective thrones. Chris was no where in sight, Windwalker suspected he was playing in the yard as planned. Aurora turned to Tenor.

"How's he doing out there?" She asked.

"Nothing bad's happened yet," Tenor said. "There's other other dragonets in the yard, but he still can't play their games." Aurora sighed. "Ah, they want to take him to the park now, and he really wants to go."

"I'll be right back," said Aurora. She got off her throne and left the great hall. Windwalker could hear her talking to another dragon outside. A few moments later she came back and sat back down on her throne. "I'm allowing him to go to the park, with a trustworthy adult to supervise."

"How do you know they weren't just humoring you?" Tenor asked.

"Because I would've foreseen if they were going to do anything bad to him," said Aurora. "My visions have gotten better these days." Tenor relaxed.

They sat there for another hour. Then they suddenly heard someone enter the castle and approach the great hall.

"Ah, and here I thought were weren't going to get any business today," said Alto. The great hall doors opened and Ruby walked in. The four dragons exchanged a glance.

"Ruby?" Re whispered. "Where in Draco's name has he been?" Ruby approached the thrones, and they were quick to notice the small figure close at his side. Windwalker knew who it was at once, Serenity.

"Hello your majesties," Ruby said. "My name's Ruby."

"We remember you Ruby," said Re. "From Apple Grove. What can we do for you?" Ruby looked down at the little human in his shadow. Aurora looked at her.

"Hello, who's that?" She asked.

"Serenity's her name," said Ruby. "I found her." Re turned to Aurora.

"Will you investigate?" He asked. "You're so good with humans." Aurora sighed and got off her throne. She went up to Ruby and inspected Serenity. Ruby introduced them to each others.

"Is she an orphan?" Aurora asked.

"No, the nasty humans she was living with threw her out," said Ruby. Aurora grimaced.

"Oh, poor thing," she said. She looked at Serenity again. "You want to come out, you're safe here." Serenity hesitated, then stepped out of Ruby's shadow. Aurora looked like she was about to cry. She turned back to her friends.

"Re, she's hurt," she said. Re got off his throne and joined his mate. Aurora introduced him to Serenity. Re looked at her.

"Hmm, I wonder what she looks like under all that dirt," he said. "Aurora, how about you and Alto get her cleaned up and get her something to eat."

"So I can keep her?" Ruby asked.

"You sure you can handle her?" Aurora asked. "Humans can be quite a handful."

"I've done okay so far," said Ruby.

"All right," said Re. "We'll let you stay here in the castle, it'll be safer for her."

"Thank you my king," said Ruby. Alto got off her throne and joined them. Serenity looked at the two female dragons, then she spotted Tenor.

"Who's that one?" She asked.

"That's Tenor," said Alto. "Tenor come down and say hello." Tenor was the last one to get off his thrown. Windwalker followed him down to the group. Now she saw the full extent of Serenity's condition.

She was wearing filthy rags that were stained with blood. Her whole body was covered in dirt, and it was really thin. Windwalker could see her bones under her skin. The worst part was Serenity was badly cut up and beaten. A whole side of her face was red and purple, and there was a hideous gash in her cheek. There were more deep cuts all over her body, all of which looked infected.

Alto and Aurora led Serenity from the great hall. Re and Tenor turned to Ruby.

"You've been away for a long time," Re said.

"Yes, I was driven out of Apple Grove," Ruby said. "I left the country for a while. Emeralds been keeping me updated with Hermes Dragons. I'm so glad you and Aurora are on the throne."

"Do you plan to return to Apple Grove?" Tenor asked. "Harmony really misses you."

"Yes, when Serenity gets stronger," said Ruby.

"All right," said Re. "We'll show you where you can stay." He led the way out of the great hall.

"Emerald said Aurora has collected magical items," Ruby said.

"Quite a few of them," said Re. "Dragons coming into the country find them and bring them to her, because they know that's what she's into. Our interests are a bit harder, no one can really give me a volcano." Ruby chuckled.

"And no one really cares about my interest in astronomy," said Tenor.

"Lets go get something to eat for that poor human of yours," Re said. "Aurora and I have learned how make human food." He picked up the pace, heading for Serenity's old room.

Serenity met Chris that same day and they quickly became friends. Chris wasn't so lonely anymore. Aurora got the Healer Dragons to treat Serenity's wounds. She had already introduced technologies and medicines that were centuries ahead of their time. So the Healer Dragons were able to patch Serenity up while causing her as little pain as possible. She improved and turned into a normal human. Tenor would walk passed the two humans on occasion, but rarely interacted with them. He spent most of his days in his room, building his telescope, and spent his nights hunting.

Chris and Serenity grew older each time the scene changed. Windwalker witnessed Serenity go through the death of Ruby, choosing to become a healer, Chris starting to learn his fighting skills, the family going on long trips, Serenity getting mauled by wolves and given dragon's blood. Tenor was in the background for most of it. He spent sometime sparing in the castle arena with Re, Aurora, and Chris. They all seemed happy. Serenity would the two of them into a lot of trouble, and Chris would take the blame each time. Tenor was usually the only one who actually saw what happened.

He found Chris in his room after such an event. Chris looked up when he came in.

"What are you doing here?" Chris asked.

"I thought I'd check on you," Tenor said. "I know what you do every time Serenity gets you two in trouble." He sat beside Chris's bed.

"You're not going to tell Mom and Dad are you?" Chris asked. "I don't want Serenity to be punished."

"Only if you want me to," Tenor said.

"How do you know what happened?" Chris asked. "I never see you." Tenor smirked.

"I'm on the more stealthy side," he said. "I can walk right by you, without you knowing." Chris shivered.

"Like a ghost?" He asked.

"Yeah like a ghost," Tenor said. "There's nothing that goes on in this castle that I don't know about." He looked back down at Chris. "Serenity must mean a lot to you for you to keep doing this."

"She's the only friend I have," Chris said. "And I'm the only friend she has, with Ruby gone. It's the least I can do for her."

"Hmm, you are quite the little softy aren't you," Tenor said, amused.

"I also kind of feel bad that she has no one to hang out with when we're in the arena," Chris said. Tenor looked serious again.

"Yeah, but we aren't in there very much," he said. "She can survive on day in a while by herself. Besides, she has her healing career to keep her occupied."

"That's true," Chris said. Tenor crawled onto the bed behind him and laid down. The bed was plenty big and strong enough to hold him. Chris looked at his tail, which was casually swaying back and forth.

"So you have no idea what kind of dragon you are?" He asked.

"No," said Tenor. "It's kind of embarrassing."

"There must be some dragons out there that look like you," Chris said. "A dragon species from outside Draconia." Tenor laid his head down on his front talons.

"Perhaps," Tenor said. Chris climbed onto his back.

"You look fine to me Uncle," he said, hugging Tenor's neck. "You're the best uncle in the world." Tenor smiled and pinned his ears back bashfully.

"Well I'm glad you think so little nephew," he said cheerfully. He gave Chris a playful nudge.

"Mom says you're a fast flyer," Chris said, laughing. "The fastest in the country."

"I am," Tenor said.

"Can you show me sometime?" Chris asked.

"Oh, I don't think you can handle it," Tenor said. "Speeds like mine can knock you right out of the saddle in a second. Maybe when you're older." Chris seemed disappointed, but said nothing further.

Windwalker watched more years pass. Serenity and Chris got older and better at riding dragons. Lord Draco made frequent visits to the castle, and he allowed Serenity to ride him. They also got better at fighting and healing respectively. They started talking about traveling the world and helping dragons in need outside the country.

But then Chris was lost at sea. Though Windwalker knew that his family had been so sad to loose him, and she knew they would be reunited, she still got emotional when she saw just how heartbroken they were. Re spent countless hours searching the ocean for him, even long after Windwalker knew Chris wasn't in the ocean anymore. Tenor, Alto, and Aurora assisted in the search for a while, but forced themselves to stop when they realized Chris wasn't going to be found. Serenity was told to remain in the castle where she was safe. Serenity cried a lot for the loss of her friend. She told Aurora and Tenor that she felt so alone now that all her friends were dead.

After a while, Re was forced to abandon the search as well. He returned to Draconia, weighed down by his heavy heart. He had just crossed over the Golden Gates, when he was struck by lightening just like Avalon was. Aurora rushed him to the Bluegreen Hospital. The Healer Dragons did everything they could to save him, but it was Serenity who nursed him back health.

Tenor caught himself a deer while he waited for Re to get better. Alto left the hospital to find him eating his kill. She suddenly looked furious.

"What are you doing Tenor!?" She shouted. Tenor jumped and looked at her.

"I haven't eaten in forever, I'm starving," he said.

"You just lost your nephew, and you might loose your king and you're eating?" Alto barked. "Are you just selfish or lazy?" Tenor pinned his ears back.

"I'm just as worried about Re as you are," he said. "But I don't want starve to death."

"Maybe you're just hoping Re will die so you can have the queen," Alto snapped. "I heard you tried asked her to be your mate." Tenor looked scared.

"Is everything okay?" Aurora asked as she came out of the building.

"Tenor thinks he can stay out here and eat while our king maybe on his deathbed," said Alto, annoyed. Aurora saw the half eaten deer.

"Re's fine," she said calmly. "He just needs some encouragement to get better." Alto just glared at Tenor, but said nothing. "Tenor why don't you wait a few more days."

"I'm hungry," Tenor said.

"I know," said Aurora. "You'll be okay. You can put that in the castle smokehouse." Tenor sighed.

"All right," Tenor said. He grabbed his deer and flew off with it.

Re recovered at a very slow rate. At first he didn't want to get better after loosing his son. But Serenity and the other dragons reminded him that he still had a country to run. Re soon started to come around and feel better. He wasn't happy, but he felt better enough to get back on his feet again.

When Re was back on his throne, the whole family recovered from their loss enough to continue to run the country. Re and Aurora got more overprotective of Serenity, since she was all they had left of Chris. However they allowed her to leave the country and travel. She soon took off on Draco with her brand new medical bag.

The scene changed again, and Serenity returned from her travels. The four royal dragons were on their thrones when she came barging into the great hall with a big smile on her face. She told them all about the little island she found, known as Berk. She told them all about the vikings that lived there, and the adventures that happened there.

"So this island has humans that really don't hunt dragons?" Re asked.

"No they don't hunt them, they ride them," said Serenity. "They have all sorts of dragons there. Including a Night Fury." This really got their attention.

"A Night Fury, a real one?" Alto asked. "I thought they were just ghost stories."

"No, it's a very real dragon," said Serenity. "Toothless is his name, so cute."

"Well, what does he look like?" Aurora asked. "No one here's ever seen a Night Fury."

"He looks kind of like him," said Serenity, pointing at Tenor. Tenor looked shocked.

"Like me?" He asked.

"Kind of," said Serenity. "He has the same flaps around his head as you do, his tail is the same as yours, his wings are the same, he's the same color as you, and his eyes are the same." Tenor took a minuet.

"So, that must mean that I'm half Night Fury," he said, breathless. The other dragons looked at him.

"I know you've wondered all your life what kind of dragon you were," said Serenity. "I found out for you. You're half Blackfang and half Night Fury." Tenor took several deep breaths.

"That's really special Tenor," said Re. "You okay?"

"I'm just glad to have closure for the first time in my life," said Tenor.

"Maybe you can come to Berk and meet Toothless," said Serenity. "He's really nice." Tenor suddenly looked nervous.

"I, I have a job to do here," he stuttered. "Thank you though, and thank you for finding this out for me." Serenity smiled and hugged him.

"You going back?" Aurora asked.

"I will," said Serenity. "They want me to be the town dragon healer."

"Wow, that's great," said Aurora.

"But don't worry," said Serenity. "I may stay there for a while, but this will always be home."

Serenity flew back and forth to Berk. First on Draco, then on Ruby when Draco returned him to the Earth. Each time she came back she asked Re and the others to come up to Berk. But each time they said they had to run the country. So she would go back up there alone with her dragons.

Alto was drifting farther out of the team. She'd met a young male dragon that she liked, and he liked her. He lived in a small town near the southern shore. Tenor knew this dragon as one of his attackers, that had spent the first year of Re and Aurora's reign in the dungeons. Alto started talking about renouncing her title to go live with her new friend. Re and Aurora were reluctant to let her go. Tenor was convinced Alto was leaving because she didn't want to work with him anymore, but he never voiced it.

Eventually Serenity managed to talk Re and Aurora into coming up to Berk, to help the vikings fight of some bad guys that were troubling. Tenor however, still refused to go up there. He didn't want to get attacked all over again. So he stayed and looked after the country, where he felt safe. Alto spent more time with her new friend. She tried to talk Tenor into giving up his throne so her new friend could have it. Though he was afraid, Tenor still stood his ground and said no. Alto wasn't pleased.

"Maybe all that time in the dark as made you selfish," she snapped, and she stormed off. Tenor sighed with relief and settled on his throne.

Re and Aurora went back and forth to Berk. They tried to talk Tenor into going with them, but he was still afraid. It wasn't until Alto fully renounced her title and moved out of the castle that he finally considered it. Re, Aurora, Serenity, Ruby, and Harmony took off for Berk, Tenor stayed behind to look after the castle. He stayed there alone.

Serenity sent him a message via Hermes Dragon, asking him to come up to Berk. Tenor shook himself.

"Well, it is getting lonely here," he admitted to himself. He dismissed the Hermes Dragon and looked out the window behind his throne. "Guys, you better be right about this." He got down from his throne, and Windwalker followed him out of the great hall. He went out onto the lawn, into the sunlight. He turned around to face the front door. Windwalker faced it too. She could see Tenor staring at the front step where his egg had been left. He closed his eyes for a moment, reliving everything that had happened to him since then. Then he opened his eyes, spread his wings, and took off for Berk.

Windwalker watched him fly away, knowing that his life was only going to go up hill from here. Soon he was out of sight.

"Windwalker," said someone behind her. She turned and saw Aurora in the gate, only behind her was a starry sky. Windwalker walked towards her, and suddenly the lawn vanished. She was now back in the cave on Dragon's Edge. Aurora was standing in the entrance.

"How long was I gone?" Windwalker asked her.

"Just for the day," said Aurora. She picked up the black scale and put in her pocket. They walked out of the cave and onto the ledge.

"That was, a lot," said Windwalker, her mind going over everything she'd seen.

"Yes," Aurora agreed. "Tenor had to go through a lot of pain, to get to where he is now."

"Does he know where I've been all day?" Windwalker asked. Aurora nodded.

"He's waiting in the arena for you," she said. "He's agreed to watch Avalon tonight."

"How's she doing?" Windwalker asked.

"She's slowly getting feeling back into her limbs," said Aurora. "Thankfully." Windwalker flew off the ledge, and Aurora followed.

"I saw when you guys found Chris," Windwalker said, as they headed for the outpost.

"Yes, I thought you might like that," said Aurora, smiling.

"I'm so sorry you guys lost him," said Windwalker, sympathetically. "That had to be so hard on you."

"It was hard," said Aurora. "You are a valuable part of this team Windwalker. You were doing us a great service, and we didn't even know about it."

"That wasn't your guys' fault," Windwalker assured her. "You did try your hardest to get him back." Aurora nodded in agreement.

"We're always going to be grateful to you," she said. "Both for what you did for Chris, and what you did for Tenor." Windwalker smiled and purred. Aurora yawned. "I need to get some sleep."

"Sure," said Windwalker. "Thank you Aurora, for showing me that." Aurora nodded. Then she flew off to look for Re.

Windwalker headed for the arena. She landed next to it, anxious to see Tenor again. She entered the arena, and found him laying beside Avalon. Chris and Apollo were asleep on the opposite side. Tenor sat up when Windwalker entered.

"You're back," he said happily.

"I'm back," said Windwalker. She trotted over to him and nuzzled him. He returned the gesture, purring.

"So, you saw everything?" He asked.

"Yes," said Windwalker, laying beside him. "I'm so amazed you went through all that pain, and still came out of it a good dragon."

"Yeah, revenge was not something I was familiar with," Tenor said. "All I could do was defend myself, even if it landed me in more trouble." He let out a happy sigh. "But I'm just glad Black Widow has had a better life then I did."

"Me too," said Windwalker, laying her head on his neck. "I'm glad you're alive, after all that."

"Says the dragon who's threatened to kill me a couple times," Tenor said, with a chuckle. Windwalker pinned her ears back in embarrassment.

"Yeah, I tend to do that when I'm really mad or upset," she said. "But I've never actually carried them out, especially on someone I love so much." Tenor blushed.

"It's okay, I never take those threats seriously," he said softly.

"Good, because I don't want to kill you," said Windwalker. "And I don't want you to kill yourself. I love you too much." Tenor blinked rapidly, like he was holding back tears. He draped a black wing over her.

"I love you too," he said. He nuzzled her. Then she sat up a bit.

"So, what did I miss?" She asked.

"Weeell," Tenor said with huge sigh, casually scratching his neck. "Chris is real angry at Hiccup for almost getting his sister killed, and Avalon had to listen to the two of them argue. It got pretty ugly. Then Snotlout pinched both of them on the neck, and they both passed out."

"Really? So humans have the same weak spot as we do?" Windwalker asked.

"It looks like it," said Tenor. "I remember Snotlout learned that trick from a hypnotized Fishlegs. And, um, Hiccup want to see how well Edelweiss does riding the other riders' dragons. Because she rides Toothless really well."

"She can do it, she's ridded full sized dragons by herself before," said Windwalker.

"Yeah, the other riders aren't too thrilled about it," said Tenor. "I think her being able to speak to dragons is annoying some of them, specifically Snotlout, Astrid, and Fishlegs."

"Should she be worried?" Windwalker asked.

"No, there will be plenty of supervision," said Tenor. "Mainly Hiccup, Toothless, and myself. The other dragonets will be there as well. So no worries." Windwalker laid her head on his neck and again and yawned. Tenor smiled. "You must be so tired, after all that."

"Yeah," said Windwalker. "But I have one more question. Why did you decide to make Serenity your rider?"

"After Ruby decided he wanted to settle down with Harmony, she didn't really have her own riding dragon," said Tenor. "She rode the three of us for a while. Then she started to seem more lonely then usual. I mean Re and Aurora had each other, Serenity and I didn't really have anyone. So I invited her to come on a night flight with me, and she agreed. I started growing quite fond of her, and her me. We have a lot in common. We were both beaten and rejected by our own kind. It only went up from there." Windwalker closed her eyes and started to drift off.

"That's real sweet of you," she whispered. She soon started snoring. Tenor smiled down at her.

"The happiness I feel these days, wipes away all the memories of pain," he said. He then went back to watching Avalon.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Edelweiss and Black Widow were lounging about on a grassy cliff near the outpost. Edelweiss was laying on her back, with her eyes closed. Black Widow was laying on top of her, with her head resting on Edelweiss's chest. She also had her red eyes closed, and her wings spread out on the grass. Edelweiss was absentmindedly stroking her snout. They were both listening to each other's breathing. Suddenly Black Widow heard a Nadder flying near the cliff. She sat up and opened her eyes. Astrid and Stormfly were flying over the ocean, having a good time. Edelweiss noticed.

"You okay Black Widow?" She asked without opening her eyes.

"Yeah, those two pulled me out of my happy place," said Black Widow.

"Was it laying here with me?" Edelweiss asked, amused. Black Widow smiled.

"Yes," she said. "We should do this everyday. It feels nice." Edelweiss stroked her snout, making her purr.

"I agree, but we'll have to do it inside when the weather gets bad," she said.

"I have no problem with that," said Black Widow. She put her head back down on her rider's chest. "What do you want to do now?" Edelweiss considered.

"We could go flying, then check on Avalon," she suggested.

"Okay," said Black Widow. "But I want to lay here for a few more minuets."

"Yeah okay," said Edelweiss.

They lay there, now listening to Astrid laughing with excitement. Then they woke up and got to their feet. Edelweiss mounted Black Widow bareback, and they took off. They headed over the water, near Astrid and Stormfly. Black Widow then turned around to face the island. Then she put on a burst of speed and shot towards the volcano. She filled their are with the Night Fury's whistle. Edelweiss hung on with her arms and legs. When Black Widow got close enough to the volcano, she shot up its slope. She climbed higher and higher above the island. Then she let herself go into a stall, and fall back towards the ground. The two of them whooped with adrenaline as they fell faster and faster. Then when they were getting close to the ground, Black Widow snapped open her wings. She paused in mid air for a moment, then glided down towards the outpost.

They landed beside the arena, and quietly entered it. Avalon was the only one awake. She was now able to sit up, but she couldn't stand up yet. Apollo, Eider, Chris, Tenor, Windwalker, and Serenity were all asleep.

"They must have stayed up all night," said Edelweiss.

"Yeah," said Avalon. "I don't know why, I'm not going anywhere." Edelweiss dismounted and sat next to her, Black Widow laid down on Avalon's other side.

"Is Daddy still upset about you almost getting killed?" Edelweiss asked. Avalon looked solemn.

"Yes, even though I've told him to relax," she said. "I don't know what to do, except get better."

"He'll come round, I'm sure," said Black Widow. "He always does." Avalon nodded.

"What have you guys been up to?" She asked.

"Just basking in the sunlight out there," said Edelweiss. "We plan to do that everyday, unless the weather's bad."

"That's a good plan," said Avalon. "Hiccup wants to see how well you fly on the other riders' dragons."

"Why though?" Edelweiss asked. "I have Black Widow."

"You might have to ride one of them, if you get captured with them," said Avalon. "I could happen."

"I suppose you're right," said Edelweiss. "I just don't want to upset their riders."

"They'll get over it," said Black Widow. "I mean they did ride us, and left you out."

"And if they start yelling at you, come talk to me about it," said Avalon. "I'm growing tired of listening to my grumpy brother. Serenity says I'll be able to stand up in a week."

"Okay, thanks Avalon," said Edelweiss.

"We can spend time alone after each training session," said Black Widow. "Then come back here and hang out Avalon." Edelweiss smiled at her.

"That sounds so nice," she said.

"Maybe you'll get trapped in a cave together overnight," said Avalon amused.

"Do you see that happening?" Black Widow asked.

"No, I can't see anything," said Avalon sadly. "The lightening did something to my foresight. Mother says it'll return with time though."

"We should get you new wristbands and collar," said Black Widow. "Those ones you had looked real nice no you."

"I plan to make some, when I'm better," said Avalon. "Thanks for the compliment though."

"Maybe we can go check out that whit Night Terror cave," said Edelweiss. "It's the only place we haven't seen yet."

"But, only Fishlegs is allowed in there," said Avalon. "Because the dragons in there are hostile."

"But I speak to dragons," Edelweiss pointed out.

"Yeah that's true," said Avalon. "But lets not break any rules, you remember what happened last time we caused a lot of trouble." Edelweiss nodded.

"Okay, maybe I'll ask Hiccup first," she said. "He might say yes." Avalon smiled. Just then Astrid and Stormfly landed outside the arena.

"Edelweiss, Hiccup wants to meet with you outside," said Astrid. "Right now." Edelweiss and Black Widow got up. Edelweiss mounted her dragon.

"You going to be okay by yourself Avalon?" Black Widow asked.

"I'll be fine," said Avalon. "Don't worry about me."

"We'll come see you afterwords," said Edelweiss. Avalon smiled gratefully. Edelweiss rode her dragon out of the arena, after Astrid and Stormfly.

They met Hiccup, the riders, and their dragons on the cliff where Edelweiss and Black Widow had been laying earlier. Astrid and Stormfly joined their friends. Edelweiss rode up to Hiccup and Toothless, and dismounted.

"Thanks for coming Edelweiss," said Hiccup. "I know you're concerned about Avalon."

"She'll be okay," said Edelweiss. "She's not very happy though."

"Well, we'll see how well you ride these dragons, then you can go keep her company," said Hiccup. Edelweiss looked over at the big dragons. They were happy to see her.

"You really think there'll be a situation where I'd have to ride one of them?" She asked Hiccup.

"There could be," said Hiccup. "There've been times when we've had to ride each other's dragons. I myself have ridden each of them. That's one of the reasons I wanted us to ride your dragons."

"Well, it was kind of fun riding Toothless even though he's not my dragon," said Edelweiss. She petted Toothless on the nose.

"We'll start you off on Meatlug," said Hiccup. Edelweiss looked over at the Gronkle, who smiled at her. Edelweiss smiled back at her. She hugged Black Widow, then walked closer to the line of dragons.

"Oh, we've made a rule: no talking dragon in our presence," said Snotlout. "We want to know everything you say to them, since we can't speak to dragons." Edelweiss looked surprised.

"Hiccup?" She asked, worried.

"I'm trying to keep things equal and fair," said Hiccup. "You can talk to these dragons in Norse, they'll understand you just fine." He saw the disappointed look on Edelweiss's face. "I'm not trying to be mean, I swear."

"I can't even talk to Black Widow?" Edelweiss asked.

"You can talk to her all you want, she's yours," said Astrid. "But with our dragons you need to speak so we can all understand you." Edelweiss sighed and reached into her pocket. She pulled out a red string and tied it around her index finger.

"What's that for?" Hiccup asked.

"Avalon enchanted it awhile back," said Edelweiss. "It squeezes my finger every time I try to speak dragontongue." Black Widow walked up next to her and nuzzled her shoulder. Edelweiss hugged her.

"Oh don't feel bad," said Hiccup. "I'll tell you what; if you do okay with us, we'll teach you dragon sledding." Edelweiss looked interested.

"Dragon sledding?" She asked. "I assume that requires snow."

"There's plenty of snow up there," said Astrid, pointing at the volcano. Edelweiss heaved a huge sigh.

"All right," she said. "No talking dragon." She quietly walked over to Meatlug. The Gronkle gave her a friendly nudge.

"Don't be sad Edel," she whispered. "We can still talk. Even though we can't speak human languages, we can understand them." Just then Fishlegs came over.

"Just so you know, Meatlug requires a more delicate riding style then what you do with Black Widow," he said. "Don't get frustrated just because she can't fly as fast as your dragons."

"You think I can't be delicate Fishlegs?" Edelweiss asked, sounding annoyed. She sniffed and mounted Meatlug.

"Go once around the island, then come back," said Hiccup. "We'll have the next part set up."

"Okay," Edelweiss said. "Lets go Meatlug." Meatlug took off and flew out over the water. Black Widow watched her go, feeling bad for her.

"Did you guys ask her parents to not speak dragontongue?" She asked Hiccup.

"No, they're nice enough to translate what the dragons are saying," said Hiccup. "So we know what everyone's saying. Edelweiss doesn't translate at all."

"She doesn't do it to make anyone jealous," said Black Widow. "She does it because it's how she was raised."

"I know," said Hiccup. "And I know it'll be hard for her at first. But we'll make it worth it." Black Widow sighed. She helped the riders set up targets.

Meatlug flew over the island. Edelweiss didn't saw a word, and just watched the world below.

"You going to be okay Edel?" Meatlug asked her. "I've never had a rider so quiet."

"I'll be okay," said Edelweiss. "But I will miss speaking my native language."

"You can still speak to your family in dragontongue," said Meatlug. "And you can still talk to us, in your spare time." Edelweiss still didn't smile. "Why don't you sing something, maybe that'll make you feel better."

"Another time," said Edelweiss. She steered Meatlug back towards the outpost. She stayed quiet the whole time.

When they got back to the riders, they found a row of targets set up on the cliff. Meatlug landed beside her friends.

"Thank you Meatlug," said Edelweiss.

"You doing any better?" Meatlug asked.

"I think I'll be fine," said Edelweiss. "I mean, it's only for a little while right?"

"Yeah," said Meatlug. "Everyday, but not all day." She walked over to the targets. Hiccup turned to them.

"Feeling better?" He asked.

"Yeah, I just want to make sure I don't loose my ability to speak to dragons," said Edelweiss. "I know you guys don't like it, but it's what I've done all my life."

"You won't loose it," said Hiccup. "You don't have to permanently stop talking to dragons." Edelweiss finally gave a small smile and patted Meatlug on the head. "Now, what I'm going to have you do is get Meatlug to fire at these targets."

"Okay," said Edelweiss. "Lets go Meatlug." Meatlug took off again and hovered over the targets.

"I think tomorrow, we'll do this in the arena," said Hiccup. "And move Avalon to the stables."

"Okay," said Edelweiss. "Meatlug, fire." Meatlug shot flaming boulders at the targets, and hit each one. "Nice job."

"That was very good," said Hiccup. "Now we're going to try starting and stopping suddenly." He carved a big X into the ground with a stick. "Fly as fast as you can once around the cliff, then land on this mark." Edelweiss steered Meatlug in a large circle, and had her pick up speed. Then she steered Meatlug towards the mark. Meatlug landed on it, stopping abruptly. Edelweiss almost flew over her head, but managed to hang on.

"That was fun," she said.

"Good job Edelweiss," said Hiccup. "We'll call it good for today. Tomorrow you'll ride Stormfly." Edelweiss looked over at Stormfly. "She's faster and stronger."

"Wonderful," said Edelweiss. She got off Meatlug. "Thank you Meatlug."

"I think you can take that off," said Meatlug, gesturing to the string on Edelweiss's finger. Edelweiss took it off and put it in her pocket.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow then?" She said.

"Yup, same time in the arena," said Hiccup. Edelweiss nodded and went back to Black Widow.

"Lets go for a walk in the woods," Black Widow said. "Just the two of us." Edelwiess smiled and they both headed for the trees.

They walked in silence for a little while. Edelweiss felt better, now that she was alone with her best friend. She admired Black Widow out of the corner of her eye. She looked so beautiful in the shade of the trees with her sleek black scales, large elegant wings, and slender figure. Black Widow moved so gracefully, like a living shadow.

Little did she know, Black Widow was admiring her as well. She admired how much like her mother Edelweiss was. She had the same beautiful round face, the same flawless body, and the same emerald green eyes. She also had glossy black hair, and smooth tan skin with patches of white dragon scales on her face, neck, and arms. Black Widow suddenly felt a strange attraction towards her rider, and it started eating at her insides. Edelweiss seemed to spot her look of distress.

"Are you okay?" She asked, as they entered a small clearing. Black Widow paused.

"I'm fine," she said. "You're just really beautiful."

"Oh," said Edelweiss, surprised. "Thank you. You're really beautiful too." She smiled. Black Widow sat on her haunches, then laid down. Edelweiss sat beside her. Black Widow smiled at her and nuzzled her neck. Edelweiss felt her stomach flip at the contact.

"I'm glad you're happy again," Black Widow said. "I was worried."

"Well, being alone with you helps," said Edelweiss. "You make me very happy, and the others too." Black Widow smiled. Suddenly she pulled Edelweiss across her front legs and held her there by resting her head on Edelweiss's chest.

"You looking forward to dragon sledding?" Black Widow asked.

"I'm not sure," said Edelweiss, stroking her dragon's face. "I've never done any kind of sledding. Are you?"

"Yeah, I've never done any sledding either," said Black Widow. "But it sounds thrilling, and very dangerous." Edelweiss smiled.

Black Widow dozed off. Edelweiss continued to stroke her face and neck. Black Widow's beautiful black scales were so warm. The more she looked at her dragon, the more Edelweiss felt a strengthening attraction towards her. Black Widow suddenly felt more then just a friend, or even a sister. It was strange being attracted to another female, it had never happened with dragons before. Edelweiss couldn't deny it however, the attraction was too strong. She wondered if Black Widow had the same attraction towards her, based on the way the dragon had been looking at her. She planned to find out later. She soon dozed off too.

They stayed there the rest of the afternoon in the clearing. No one bothered them. When they woke up from their nap, it was snowing. Black Widow sat up.

"Snow, I guess that means we should head back," she said. "Someone's probably looking for us."

"Good idea," said Edelweiss. They got to their feet, and Black Widow shook the snow off her scales. Edelweiss mounted her and they flew back.

"You looking forward to riding Stormfly?" Black Widow asked.

"Not really," said Edelweiss. "The only dragon I really want to ride is you." Black Widow smiled and felt her heart clench. "Those other dragons are nice, but I'll only ride them if I absolutely had to." She patted Black Widow on the neck.

They arrived at the stables. Avalon had been moved to one of the stalls. She was sitting up, surrounded by Eider and Apollo.

"You've been gone all day," said Avalon.

"Did you have a good nap?" Eider asked.

"How did you know we were napping?" Edelweiss asked.

"Tenor and Windwalker went looking for you," said Apollo. "And found you in that clearing, fast asleep."

"Sorry," said Black Widow, laying beside Avalon with Edelweiss still on her back.

"It's okay," said Eider.

"How are you Avalon?" Edelweiss asked.

"I can move my tail now," said Avalon, demonstrating. "And it's a lot warmer in here. How'd the training go?"

"Well, they're not letting me speak dragontongue," said Edelweiss. "Again." The dragonets exchanged a glance.

"Did they say why?" Apollo asked.

"Hiccup says it makes things more equal," said Edelweiss. "He says they want to know everything I'm saying."

"Well, I guess that makes sense," said Avalon.

"He also says he'll show us dragon sledding," said Black Widow.

"Oooh, dragon sledding," said Eider. "That sounds interesting. And it's snowing, so it'll be good conditions for sledding. Which dragon did you ride today?"

"Meatlug," said Edelweiss. "Tomorrow I ride Stormfly."

"Cool," said Eider. "Maybe we can come watch."

"You may," said Black Widow. "Edelweiss and I plan to spend more time alone tomorrow afterwords, then come back here."

"We'll try not to stay away for quite as long," said Edelweiss.

"Do you plan to do that everyday?" Apollo asked.

"If that's okay with you guys," said Black Widow. "We aren't trying to abandon you or anything."

"No it's fine," said Avalon. "It'll be awhile until I'm up and about. I know you guys are really close."

"Can you try to get up?" Edelweiss asked. Avalon looked down at her legs. She groaned a she tried to move her legs, but they only twitched.

"I can't even feel my legs," she said through clenched teeth.

"We'll help you," said Apollo. Before Avalon could protest they all got to their feet. Edelweiss got off Black Widow and helped heave Avalon to her feet. Avalon tried to put weight on her legs, but they felt like they were made of splintered wood. She could only hold herself up for only a second, then she collapsed. She roared in pain and fell against Eider.

"I can't do it guys," she panted. "Set me back down, please." Eider slowly set her back down with Edelweiss's help.

"I'm sorry Avalon," said Apollo. "I just wanted to help."

"I know," said Avalon. "Don't worry Apollo, I am getting better." She nuzzled him. "I'll be able to get up in a few days." She took several shallow breaths, like she was in pain.

"Should I get Mother?" Edelweiss asked. Avalon focused on her breathing.

"I'm not sure yet," she panted. "I'm going to see if the pain goes away on its own." She kept stayed focused on breathing. She laid her head down and tried to relax. Edelweiss sat next to her and stroked Avalon's neck. After awhile she started to breathe normally as the pain went away.

"It's okay," she said. "It's going away, I can sleep now."

"We'll stay with you," said Eider. "For as long as you want." Avalon smiled and closed her eyes.

They all spent the night in the stables. Edelweiss slept next to Black Widow, and was lulled to sleep by the beat of her heart. The next day Edelweiss and Black Widow bid Avalon good bye and headed for the arena. They found the other riders waiting for them. Edelweiss put the red string back onto her finger.

"You going to be okay this time?" Black Widow asked.

"Yes, I'll be okay," said Edelweiss. "Hopefully it will go by as fast as it did yesterday. Then we can go back to that clearing." She turned to face Black Widow, and kissed her cheek. Then she went over to the riders. Black Widow watched her go, her heart thumping. She couldn't stop thinking about what Edelweiss meant to her. She was much more than a rider to her, she was someone Black Widow loved more then anything. She hoped Edelweiss felt the same about her, and planed to find out when they were alone again. She was already anxious to have Edelweiss back.

Edelweiss joined the other riders. Stormfly and Toothless were the only dragons present.

"Hey everyone," said Edelweiss.

"You ready for today?" Astrid asked.

"Yes," said Edelweiss. "And I remembered the no talking dragon rule." She held up her finger with the string on it.

"We appreciate that," said Astrid. "We promise to make it up to you." She then gestured towards Stromfly. Edelweiss approached Stormfly and patted her beak.

"Hi Stormfly," she said. Stormfly nudged her. Edelweiss then hoisted herself onto Stormfly's saddle and sat down. "Wow, this saddle's really hard." She rubbed her back, which was already getting sore.

"Yeah sorry, Astrid's not one for creature comforts," said Stormfly.

"I noticed," said Edelweiss.

"So do what you did yesterday," said Astrid. "Fly around the island, then come back here. Be careful, Stormfly is easily offended." Edelweiss nodded. Stormfly then spread her wings and took off.

They flew around the island. Stormfly was faster than Meatlug, but on faster then Toothless or Black Widow. The island was covered in a dusting of snow, except the volcano which was completely white.

"So how's Avalon doing?" Stormfly asked.

"She's okay," said Edelweiss. "She can't stand up at all, I feel so bad for her."

"Me too," said Stormfly. "But I'm also glad that she's alive." Edelweiss nodded in agreement.

"She's our team leader," she said. "We'd be lost without her." She steered Stormfly around the volcano. Edelweiss looked down at it. "There's lots of snow for sledding."

"Yup," Stormfly agreed. "You're going to love dragon sledding, it's the best thing to do in winter."

"It won't hurt Black Widow will it?" Edelweiss asked.

"Only if you hit something," said Stormfly. "Sliding down on the snow is totally painless." They turned to head back towards the arena.

"You can go full speed," said Edelweiss. "You don't have to baby me."

"Okay, if you insist," said Stormfly. She thrusted her wings back and dove down towards the arena at high speed. Edelweiss hung onto the handlebars.

They sped towards the arena, where Hiccup had drawn another X on the floor. Stormfly made a B-line for it. When she was close enough, she snapped her wings open and stopped abruptly. She put her feet out and landed on the mark. Edelweiss was ready this time, and stayed squarely in the saddle.

"Good job Edelweiss," said Astrid. "We'll just see how well you do with target practice, then we'll let you go." Hiccup and Astrid had set up targets in a large circle. Edelweiss took off on Stormfly again and they flew in a circle. When they were ready, they went at the targets. Edelweiss had Stormfly shoot half the targets with fire, and the other half with spikes. All the targets were hit. Stormfly went back in and landed on the mark.

"Good job guys," said Hiccup. "You're dismissed." Edelweiss patted Stormfly on the head, then got down. She groaned in pain from her sore backside.

"You okay?" Astrid asked.

"Yeah, that saddle's a bit hard," said Edelweiss. "Who am I riding tomorrow?"

"Skullcrusher," said Hiccup.

"Okay, that'll be fun," said Edelweiss. "See you tomorrow." She turned and ran eagerly back to Black Widow. The black dragon beamed as Edelweiss threw her arms around her. Black Widow hugged her back.

"Lets go to the clearing," she said. "You want to ride?"

"I'll walk, I'm too sore to ride," said Edelweiss. Black Widow smiled.

"That's fine," she said. They turned and headed for the woods behind the outpost.

As they walked towards the clearing, Edelweiss noticed the anxious look on Black Widow's face.

"Is everything okay?" She asked. Black Widow stopped and sighed.

"I might as well say it," she said, turning to face Edelweiss and looking her dead in the eye. "Edelweiss, I feel a strong attraction towards you. You've become more then just a friend or a rider to me. I love you, way more then normal. And I'm hoping you feel the same way about me." She waited for Edelweiss's answer.

"Oh," she whispered. "I don't know what to say, except that I do have the same feelings for you. I love you so much." Black Widow beamed and nuzzled her friend's face, Edelweiss returned the gesture.

"What are we going to do?" Edelweiss asked. "There's never been a relationship like this in dragon history." Black Widow sighed.

"We should at least tell Avalon," she said. "She'll probably know what to do." Edelweiss nodded in agreement.

"So do you want to go back to the stables instead of the clearing?" She asked.

"Yeah," said Black Widow. "The sooner the better." They turned around and headed back towards the stables. "What's that mouth thing your parents do? Hiccup and Astrid do it too."

"Kissing?" Edelweiss asked.

"Yeah that," said Black Widow. "Why do they do that?"

"It's a show of affection," said Edelweiss. "Like when dragons nuzzle each other. Why?"

"Just wondering," said Black Widow.

"You want me to kiss you?" Edelweiss asked.

"Not right now," said Black Widow. "I want to know what Avalon's going to say first." Edelweiss shrugged.

They reached the stables. When they walked in, they found Avalon dozing in her stall alone. She sat up when she heard them enter.

"You're back already?" She asked.

"Yeah," said Black Widow. "Where's everyone?"

"They're out fishing," said Avalon. "Tenor and Windwalker are taking their riders for a flight."

"There's something we want to talk to you about," said Black Widow. "Alone." Avalon looked surprised.

"Come in, sit down," she said. Edelweiss and Black Widow entered her stall and sat down. The big doors suddenly closed of their own accord, and locked. "I do that when I don't want to be disturbed. Now what to do you want to tell me." Edelweiss sighed.

"Well, we know this has never happened in dragon history," she said. "And you may not like it." Avalon thumped her tail against floor impatiently.

"Avalon, Edelweiss and I have fallen in love with each other," said Black Widow. They stopped and waited for Avalon to say something.

"Well," she said after a while. "You're right this has never happened before. But I suppose I shouldn't be that surprised. Whether I like it or not, I'm not sure. I for sure don't want any other dragons doing this, it might mess up our ecosystem. So can I ask you to keep this between us? Eider and Apollo can know, but no one else."

"We promise," said Black Widow. "That's why we go off for alone time. To everyone else, were dragon and rider that are close friends."

"I also ask that you don't make anything official until we find another dragon for our team," said Avalon. "If it's a male, one of you can be with him and the other be with Apollo. If it's a female, she can be with Apollo and we'll leave you be. You have my permission to be in love, with these conditions, but to the rest of the world you're just close friends."

"Sisters," said Edelweiss.

"Fine sisters," said Avalon. "But nothing more. When it's just the five of us, you can be as close as you want."

"Thank you Avalon," said Edelweiss.

"Sure," said Avalon. "Is that all you wanted to talk about?"

"Yes," said Black Widow. Avalon nodded, then gestured her snout towards the big doors. They opened by themselves, letting in sunlight.

"Do you want us to sit with you?" Edelweiss asked.

"No thank you," said Avalon. "I'd just like some peace and quiet. Chris is still pretty mad about me almost getting killed. I've told him several times that I'm fine, but he still kept shouting at the other riders. So I demanded he go flying with Serenity, and not come back in here until he calms down." She yawned. "I'm going to get some rest."

"Okay, we'll come back later," said Black Widow. Avalon nodded and laid her head back down. Black Widow and Edelweiss got to their feet. They left the stables and walked out onto the runway.

"I'm glad that's settled," said Edelweiss, stepping closer to her dragon.

"Me too," said Black Widow. "You think you can ride now?" Edelweiss considered.

"Yeah, I think so," she said. She turned and mounted Black Widow bareback. "That feels so much better then Stormfly's saddle."

"You don't feel sore anymore?" Black Widow asked.

"No," said Edelweiss. Black Widow took off and flew over the outpost.

They watched the other dragons and riders go about their activities. They spotted Hiccup and Toothless were outside their hut. Hiccup sat at a table, looking at some papers. Black Widow turned and hovered over them.

"Hey Edelweiss," said Hiccup. "Hi Black Widow."

"Hi, what are you looking at?" Edelweiss asked.

"I'm coming up with new armor designs for the other riders," said Hiccup. "Come down here I'll show you." Black Widow landed on the porch and Edelweiss. They went over to see what Hiccup was looking at, Edelweiss hugged Toothless on the way. They looked at the designs. There was an armor design for each of the riders, except Valka.

"Wow," said Edelweiss. "I already feel underdressed." Black Widow looked like she was trying not to laugh. "They look heavy."

"I plan to make them out of their dragon's scales," said Hiccup. "So It'll be strong, and light." Edelweiss ran a hand over the snowy white scales on her left arm.

"I assume you'll get these scales by waiting for the dragons to shed them," she said.

"Of course, I'd never rip a dragon's scales off," said Hiccup. "Soon you won't be the only human wearing dragon scales."

"That'll be fun," said Edelweiss. "I'll be the only one who actually grew my own scales, but I kind of like that."

"Maybe I can make armor for you," Hiccup suggested.

"Um, no thanks," said Edelweiss. "I may not be completely covered in scales like a dragon, my skin is strong enough to act as a natural armor."

"Do you plan to give the other riders flight suits, like you have?" Black Widow asked.

"Yeah, just incase they get knocked off their dragons," said Hiccup. "And their dragons are clapped in chains."

"That's a good precaution," said Edelweiss. "As long as they don't replace your dragons."

"Oh no," said Hiccup. "These flight suits aren't designed for long distance flying, just to keep the riders from crashing. Also with this armor, we'll be able to walk through fire without getting burned."

"What about lava?" Black Widow asked.

"No not lava," said Hiccup. "Just regular fire."

"Cool," said Edelweiss. "I can't walk through lava either. Well, we'll let you get back to work." She got back on Black Widow.

"How's Avalon?" Hiccup asked.

"She's sleeping," said Black Widow. "She doesn't want to be disturbed." She turned and took off again.

The next few days were much the same. Edelweiss would ride one of the larger dragons; working on flying, landing, and firing. She would wear the red string each time, so she didn't speak dragontongue. It still made her sad, but she didn't complain. After each training session, Edelweiss would run off into the woods with Black Widow. They would spend hours in the woods, their relationship grew stronger each time. They kept Avalon's conditions in mind, and only showed affection when they were alone. No one but their friends even suspected that they were in love, and everyone thought they were just really close friends. Eider and Apollo were also unsure how they felt about this relationship, but didn't try to break it up.

After their afternoon together, Edelweiss and Black Widow would return to the stables to be with their friends. Avalon tried to get up each day, with their help. She was still unable to hold herself up, but she was starting to get her legs moving. She seemed happier the stronger her legs got. She was also able to move her wings all the way, and her magic return to full strength.

Soon Edelweiss had just one dragon left, Hookfang. She was excited to be finished and learn dragon sledding. Snow had fallen the night before, covering the volcano in plenty of sledding snow. Edelweiss flew Black Widow to the arena and landed beside Hookfang. Hiccup, Toothless, and Snotlout were there as well.

"Hi Hookfang," Edelweiss said, dismounting. "You ready?"

"I sure am," said Hookfang. Edelweiss petted his snout.

"I'm still no sure you can handle a dragon like Hookfang," said Snotlout. "He's the biggest dragon you've ridden. Only the best riders, like myself, have what it takes." Edelweiss didn't looked the least bit afraid. She mounted Hookfang with no trouble.

"So, do the same thing as yesterday?" She asked.

"Yes," said Hiccup.

"But first, see if you can get Hookfang to flame up," said Snotlout. "It's harder then it looks, he can be really stubborn." Edelweiss looked down at Hookfang.

"Hookfang fire up," she said. "And don't worry about burning me, I'm as fireproof as you are." Hookfang smiled, and ignited. The flames surrounded Edelweiss, blocking her view of the ground. "Thank you Hookfang." She said. She patted his head, not even flinching when her hand touched the fire. "Lets go." Hookfang took off and headed over the island.

Hookfang stayed ignited as they reached the top of the volcano. Edelweiss would use her fire controlling skills, to play with the fire.

"Have you ever considered engulfing yourself in fire?" Hookfang asked.

"No, I think it looks better on you," said Edelweiss. "Though it does look warmer then the worlds warmest jacket."

"You'd be surprised," said Hookfang. "Though I suppose if you did engulf yourself, all your clothes would burn off."

"Which is why the art is best left to you Monstrous Nightmares," said Edelweiss. "I'm fine just touching fire." She steered Hookfang back towards the arena.

"Have you enjoyed hanging out with us?" Hookfang asked. "Even though you couldn't speak our language?"

"Yeah, you guys are a lot of fun," said Edelweiss. "But I'll only ride one of you if I absolutely have to. Black Widow is my dragon, and I'm her rider."

"Sounds good to me," said Hookfang. "I don't think Black Widow was very happy having different humans on her back." Edelweiss patted his head again.

They returned to the arena and Hookfang landed right on the mark in the middle of the arena. He then distinguished his fire. Edelweiss looked over at Black Widow and smiled at her. She had helped Hiccup and Snotlout set up targets. Edelweiss had Hookfang fire at the targets and they all burned up. Both of them beamed.

"Nice job," said Hiccup. Edelweiss got down from Hookfang. "You did real well on these dragons, and you remembered the rule of no talking in dragontongue. So tomorrow afternoon we'll show you dragon sledding." Edelweiss smiled.

"Thanks Hiccup," she said. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Let me see your hand real quick," said Hiccup, pointing to the hand with the red string on it. Edelweiss held up her hand. Hiccup gently grasped it and untied the red string.

"You've kept our rule long enough," he said. "So I'm lifting it, as long as you promise to translate for us like your parents do."

"I promise," said Edelweiss. Hiccup threw the string to the ground and Toothless burned it into nothing. Edelweiss smiled and hugged Hookfang, before running back to Black Widow.

They went back to their clearing and laid in the grass. Edelweiss laid on her back and Black Widow laid on top, and rested her head on Edelweiss's chest. Edelweiss stroked Black Widow's face.

"It's all over Black Widow, I can go back to spending all my time with you guys," said Edelweiss happily. "Things go back to normal."

"Except for dragon sledding," said Black Widow.

"Yeah," said Edelweiss. "But I don't think it'll be too different from flying." She placed a hand on either side of Black Widow's snout. "We can do it at home too."

"You want to head back to the stables?" Black Widow asked.

"Not really," said Edelweiss. "I wouldn't mind laying here forever with the dragon I love so much." Black Widow smiled.

"I feel the same," she said. "I can't wait to see you full grown. You'll probably be even more beautiful." Edelweiss smiled, and blushed.

"Probably," she said. "And I'll stay that way forever."

"I like that," said Black Widow. She lifted her head so she could looked Edelweiss in the eye. Edelweiss kept her hands on Black Widow's face.

"What would I do without you?" She said.

"That's a cliched thing to say," Black Widow chucked.

"Yeah," Edelweiss agreed. Black Widow scooted forward, then rested her head onto Edelweiss's shoulder. Edelweiss hugged her head close and rested her face against Black Widow's snout. She inhaled the smell of fire from her dragon's breath. Black Widow inhaled and exhaled deeply. Her gorgeous black scales felt like a warm blanket. Edelweiss closed her eyes.

"We should go back to the stables," she whispered. "Before someone finds us." Black Widow sighed.

"I guess," she said. She lifted her head, and nibbled Edelweiss's neck, making her laugh. Then they both got to the feet. Black Widow turned to her rider, looking her in the eye. "What are we going to do if we're ever separated?"

"We kick and scream until we're reunited," said Edelweiss. Black Widow shrugged.

"Lets head back," she said. "I'll need to go hunt tonight." Edelweiss looked sad and threw her arms around Black Widow's neck.

"Will you at least wait until I'm asleep?" She asked.

"Yes," said Black Widow, hugging her back. "I'll be back by the time you wake up again."

"Thanks," said Edelweiss. She stepped back. "Let's go." She mounted her dragon and they walked back towards the stables. Neither of them spoke.

"What are you thinking about?" Black Widow asked.

"Are you sure you don't want me to kiss you?" Edelweiss asked.

"Not out in the open," said Black Widow. "I take it you really want to."

"Yeah," said Edelweiss. "But I can wait until you're ready. I know you're not used to human customs."

"I'm not," said Black Widow. "But I might be willing to allow this one human custom, but only this one." Edelweiss petted her neck.

"On your time," she said. Black Widow smiled, then broke into a run.

They got back to the stables, finding their friends waiting in Avalon's stall. Avalon was trying to get up again. Apollo and Eider were helping her. They looked up when Black Widow and Edelweiss entered.

"You guys okay?" Edelweiss asked, dismounting.

"Yeah," said Avalon. "I still can't stand up though." She laid back down and everyone laid down around her.

"But you are getting stronger," said Eider. "I feel it every time you try to get up." Avalon smiled and laid her head on Eider's shoulder.

"This has been a long recovery," she said. "You think if I'd trusted Hiccup a little more I wouldn't have gotten hit?"

"Who knows," said Apollo. He turned to Edelweiss. "So how did things go for you?"

"Good," said Edelweiss. "I'm all finished riding those dragons. Tomorrow, they're going to show Black Widow and me dragon sledding."

"You guys can come if you want," said Black Widow.

"I obviously can't," said Avalon. "I'm going to keep trying to get up."

"We'll stay here too, and help," said Eider. "Maybe when Avalon is walking again, you can show us."

"All right," said Black Widow.

They sat and talked for a few more hours. They sang several songs too. Edelweiss soon fell asleep as the sky went dark. Black Widow laid her down on the floor of the stall, then got to her feet. She left the stables and headed out for her hunt. The other dragons soon fell asleep themselves.

The next morning Black Widow returned after a very successful hunt. She landed on the runway and entered the stables. The other dragons were starting to wake up. Edelweiss was still asleep. Black Widow walked up next to her, and licked her face. Edelweiss stirred and opened her eyes.

"Good morning," she said. "How was your hunt?"

"Very filling," said Black Widow. "There's lost of food here." Edelweiss sat up and hugged her.

"What do you want to do until dragon sledding?" She asked.

"Let's go for a run," said Black Widow. "Then go to the clearing." Edelweiss got to her feet.

"You sure you guys won't come?" She asked Apollo and Eider, as she mounted Black Widow.

"We're sure," said Eider.

"Okay, we'll come back after dragon sledding," said Black Widow. She left the stables and took off.

They landed on the cliffs, and Black Widow took off running. She ran through the forest, gaining speed. She jumped over every obstacle. Edelweiss hung on tightly as they raced through the woods. The trees and rocks whipped passed. The ground got steeper as they headed up the side of the of the volcano. Black Widow slowed down as she headed upwards.

Soon they reached the top of the volcano. Black Widow stopped at the edge of the rim and they looked down the throat of the volcano. It was filled with dried magma and smelled of sulphur. Black Widow turned and headed back down the slope. They sang songs as they headed down towards the clearing.

They finally reached the clearing. Black Widow came to a stop and Edelweiss dismounted.

"That was fun," she said, hugging her dragon.

"Yeah," said Black Widow. "We'll run back up there for dragon sledding." She laid down on the grass and Edelweiss sat next to her. She carefully picked up Black Widow's paw and put in her lap. She lightly ran her fingers over Black Widow's black scales and smooth claws. Black Widow purred at the touch. Edelweiss felt the dragon's hard muscles. Black Widow gently pulled her paw out when she had enough. She nuzzled Edelweiss, who nuzzled her back. Black Widow then used her tail to pull Edelweiss across her front legs again and held her there with her paw. They looked each other in the eye.

"I love you so much Edel," Black Widow said.

"I love you too," said Edelweiss. She felt her heart pick up speed. Black Widow reached her paw up and gently placed it on Edelweiss's scaly cheek. Edelweiss held her paw there, and leaned her face into it. Black Widow then nuzzled Edel's other cheek.

"I like this," Edelweiss whispered.

"Me too," said Black Widow. "And we can stay like this for a while." Edelweiss smiled and wormed closer to Black Widow's chest, and Black Widow pulled her even closer with her paw. "So what do you want to do at the end of dragon sledding?"

"I don't know," said Edelweiss. "I hope to spend a bit more time with you, before going back to the stables."

"All right," said Black Widow. "I'd like that." She nuzzled Edelweiss's face again. Edelweiss felt her heart beat faster.

"It feels so good when you do that," she said.

"You still want to kiss me though don't you?" Black Widow said.

"I do," said Edelweiss. "But not until you're ready."

"Let me think about it," said Black Widow. "If I feel good enough after dragon sledding, I'll let you kiss me."

"It's a deal, and you might even like it," said Edel. Black Widow placed a talon over her lips.

"Shhh, that's enough talking," she whispered. She cupped Edel's face again. "We can talk later. Let's just bask in the sun for a while." Edelweiss nodded in agreement, and buried her face into Black Widow's chest.

They stayed like that for a few hours. Black Widow kept nuzzling Edelweiss's face and licking her neck. Edelweiss loved it and her heart leaped when ever Black Widow touched her. No one bothered them the whole time. Then Black Widow's ears twitched.

"Hiccup's coming," she said. She quickly but gently got to her feet. Edelweiss did the same, just minuets before Hiccup and Toothless came into the clearing.

"Hey, you guys ready for dragon sledding?" Hiccup asked.

"We sure are," said Black Widow. Edelweiss mounted her dragon and followed Hiccup and Toothless up to the mountain top.

Astrid and Stormfly were there already. Toothless and Black Widow landed next to Stormfly. Edelweiss looked down the slope. It was covered in several feet of snow, and had very few trees. Astrid brought over Black Widow's saddle.

"Dragon sledding is a bit easier with a saddle," she said. Edelweiss dismounted and put the saddle on Black Widow.

"Okay," said Hiccup. "So I'll show you how to go forward and steer, then Astrid will talk about avalanches, then we'll send you off."

"I've seen avalanches back home," said Edelweiss. "They look really powerful."

"They are, but we'll get to that in a minuet," said Hiccup. "Black Widow lay on your belly, and put all four legs as far back as they'll go." Black Widow did as she was told and laid down, with her legs all the way back.

"This feels very awkward," she said.

"Yeah, but it'll make sense when you start going," said Hiccup. "You'll have you use your wing and tail to steer, and to brake when you get to the bottom. Edelweiss, sit on the saddle like you were flying." Edelweiss climbed onto the saddle. "Lean over her neck as far as you can, just like you're flying at high speed." Edelweiss did so. "Good. When you're going down the hill, it's important that you stay in that position and don't move. It may throw her off, and make her crash. When you get to the bottom of the hill, you can sit up. It also reduces your chances of hitting a tree branch."

"Right," said Edelweiss. She sat back up.

"You have to keep your eyes open for obstacles," said Astrid. "They can come out quite suddenly, and you may have only a second to react. And the biggest thing you have to look out for is an avalanche. Doing this will loosen a lot of snow, and that can cause an avalanche. They can happen without you knowing about it, so look over your shoulder every couple of minuets. If one does happen, don't try to outrun it. Black Widow may be a fast dragon, but even she can't outrun an avalanche. You have to get out of the way, either by sledding perpendicular to it or flying off the slope. If you can't get out of the way in time, grab on to something sturdy like a tree or a rock. This slope has a few of those. We'll show you how to do an emergency brake, so you can get to safety. You may only have a few seconds to get out of the way."

"It's also very important that you stay calm," said Hiccup. "Panicking only makes it worse."

"Understood," said Edelweiss, Black Widow crooned in agreement.

"Oh, I almost forgot," said Hiccup. He reached into his saddlebags and pulled out a rope. "I'm going to tie you two together, so don't get separated." Edelweiss sat up and let Hiccup tie on end of the rope around her torso, using a strong knot of his. He then tied the other end around Black Widow's neck and chest. "There, now Black Widow can act as your anchor if you fall off. I think that covers everything." He got to his feet. "We'll sled with you a couple times, then let you do a solo run." Black Widow looked down the mountain, nervous suddenly.

"To get moving, you just have to push off with your wings," Astrid said to Black Widow.

"Um, okay," Black Widow said timidly. "Are there smaller slopes I can start with?"

"Yeah, but they're really bumpy," said Hiccup. "This one's the smoothest." Black Widow took several deep breaths. Hiccup and Astrid got on their dragons, and the dragons got down on their bellies.

"We're ready when you are," said Astrid. Black Widow gulped. Then she pushed off with her wings, and they slid down the slope.

They sped down the mountain at breakneck speeds. Snow flew everywhere and the wind whipped passed their faces. Black Widow kept her wings at her sides and used them to steer. Edelweiss held onto the saddle, her stomach clenching with adrenaline. They both kept their teeth clenched and their eyes forward. Toothless and Stormfly sped alongside them. The scenery went by at a blur, and before they knew it, they were at the bottom. Black Widow skidded to a stop as the slope leveled out. Edelweiss sat up, totally speechless. Her head was spinning.

"Wow, that was so fast," she said.

"Yeah," said Black Widow, breathless. "That felt just like flying, but different." Hiccup and Astrid reached the bottom and got off their dragons.

"How was that?" Hiccup asked, excitedly.

"It was so fast," Edelweiss said again. "But I liked it."

"You want to go again?" Astrid asked.

"If I can get up," said Black Widow. She tried to pull her legs back around, but they were pinned under her body.

"Push yourself up with your wings," Toothless said. Black Widow did so and it helped her get up. She shook the snow off her scales.

"Thanks," she said.

They all flew back up to the top for another go. Black Widow pushed off without hesitating this time. They sped down the mountain, Edelweiss kept her eye out for avalanches. Luckily none occurred. They sledded a few more time with Hiccup and Astrid. They showed Edelweiss and Black Widow a few maneuvers they could use to avoid getting caught by an avalanche. They soon got good at dragon sledding, and really enjoyed it.

After several runs they sun started to set. Black Widow and Edelweiss had been having so much fun that they had lost track of time. They reached the bottom of the slope along side the two other riders.

"We should probably head in," said Hiccup. "It's too dangerous to sled at night."

"We want to do at least two solo runs," said Edelweiss.

"Okay," said Hiccup. "If you get into trouble send up a signal." Black Widow nodded. "We'll be watching the skies, and if you aren't back in an hour we'll come look for you."

"Okay," said Edelweiss. "Thank you for showing us this Hiccup, it was fun."

"You're welcome," said Hiccup. "See you guys later." He and Astrid took off on their dragons. Edelweiss and Black Widow flew back up to the top of the mountain.

"I think the other dragons will love this," Edelweiss said.

"I agree," said Black Widow. She got down on her belly and pushed off with her wings. They sped down the slope as fast as they could, cheering and laughing the whole way down.

When they reached the bottom they took a moment to catch their breath. Then they turned around and flew back up to the top for their last run of the day. Black Widow laid on her belly and set off down the slope. They were about half way down the slope when Black Widow's animal instincts flared. She looked behind her, in time to see a massive wall of snow barreling down the mountain after them.

"Avalanche!" She cried. Edelweiss looked over her shoulder and saw the avalanche. It got bigger the closer it got.

"Can we get out of the way?" She called, over the avalanche's roar.

"I don't thing so," said Black Widow. "It's too wide and gaining too fast. I also don't see anything sturdy to grab onto."

"Try flying," Edelweiss suggested. The avalanche was right on their tail.

"Okay," said Black Widow. She opened her wings and her tail fins. Unfortunately that slowed her down, and the avalanche caught them before they could take off. It carried them like a high speed ocean wave, down the mountain.

"Hang on!" Black Widow cried. Edelweiss held on with both arms and legs. The avalanche got bigger and faster. Black Widow tried flying again, but the snow kept hitting her and throwing her back down. They did manage to pull slightly ahead of the avalanche, and could go strait again. Soon they hit the bottom so suddenly that Edelweiss flew over Black Widow's head and landed on her back. Black Widow had just enough time to throw herself over Edelweiss and cover them both up with her wings, before the avalanche buried them under a mountain of snow.

Black Widow felt the snow pound against her wings. She clutched Edelweiss with her front legs. They both listened to the rumble as the avalanche continued to bury them. Black Widow suddenly realized it was too late to send up a stress signal. She only hoped Hiccup and Astrid would come looking for them after a while.

After what felt like an eternity, the avalanche came to a stop. It grew dark and quiet. Edelweiss and Black Widow were incased in total darkness. Black Widow could see in the dark, and Edelweiss could see Black Widow's glowing red eyes. Black Widow lowered her wings. The snow stayed in a slight arch and didn't collapse on them. They had plenty of air for a while. Edelweiss opened here eyes and found Black Widow laying on top of her, with their faces only a few inches apart.

"Are you okay?" Black Widow asked.

"I think so," said Edelweiss. "How about you?"

"I'm okay," said Black Widow. "My wings still work."

"You think you can get us out?" Edelweiss asked. Black Widow looked upward. She first tried to break out with her shoulders, but I was like trying to move a massive boulder. Then she tried her fire, but the ceiling cracked under the heat and almost gave way.

"I guess there's a lot of snow on top of us," she said. "We'll have to wait for help." She settled back down on top of Edelweiss. "Am I crushing you?"

"No, I actually feel warmer this way," said Edelweiss.

They sat there in silence, steading their breathing.

"We have some time to kill," said Black Widow. "They said they'd come back in an hour."

"Okay," said Edelweiss. "What do you want to talk about?" Black Widow considered. She looked down at Edelweiss and smiled lovingly.

"I'd like to talk more about our relationship," she said. "Lets say we found us another team member and it's a female, would you want to take this relationship all the way?"

"You mean mate?" Edelweiss asked.

"Yes," said Black Widow.

"I'd like to," said Edelweiss. "But you do realize that if we do mate, you'll never have dragonets." Black Widow considered that.

"I don't mind," she said finally. "I'll still have you."

"All right," said Edelweiss. Then a thought struck her. "How do dragons mate? I've never seen it."

"You're not supposed to," said Black Widow. "It depends on the dragons. Some sing, some dance, some exchange gifts, some find a cozy cave to be alone in for a whole week."

"Which one do you want to do?" Edelweiss asked.

"I certainly don't want to do what humans do," said Black Widow. "But I'm not sure." She laid her head down on Edelweiss's chest.

"Well, you don't have to pick one yet," Edelweiss said. "We still have to wait until we get the new member."

"Yeah," said Black Widow.

"But honestly, I hope we do find another female for Apollo," said Edelweiss. "Because, you're the one I want to be with." Black Widow purred and lifted her head to look into Edelweiss's eyes again. She cupped both her paws around Edelweiss's face.

"I feel the same way," she whispered. "I don't want anyone but you. And I'm so glad to be here with you." Edelweiss placed her hands on either side of Black Widow's face and looked into her eyes. Her heart beat faster.

"I love you Black Widow," she said. "I love you so much." Black Widow feel Edelweiss's heartbeat pick up speed.

"Oh, go ahead," Black Widow said. "I'm ready." Edelweiss smiled. She gripped Black Widow's snout, and kissed her right on the mouth. Black Widow felt her own heart explode with emotion. Her eyes went wide. Edelweiss pulled back a minuet later and laid her head back down. There was a moment of silence.

"Say something," said Edelweiss. Black Widow took a deep breath.

"That was, overwhelming," she said. "But I don't mean that in a bad way."

"So you liked it?" Edelweiss asked.

"Sure," said Black Widow. Edelweiss kissed her again, for a little longer.

"You'll get used to it," she said, after the kiss ended.

"I think I already am," said Black Widow. "But I don't want to wear it out."

"One more," said Edelweiss. She kissed Black Widow again, and held it for several minuets. Black Widow actually kissed her back this time. Their hearts seemed to beat in unison. The kiss ended and it grew very quiet again.

"What now?" Black Widow whispered.

"We wait," said Edelweiss yawning. "I'm falling asleep."

"You can sleep," said Black Widow. "I'll keep an ear out for rescue." She put her head down on Edelweiss's shoulder. Edelweiss hugged her head close and rested her face against Black Widow snout, and breathed in the smell of fire from her breath. It lulled her to sleep. Black Widow nibbled and licked Edelweiss's neck, while keeping her ear out for anyone approaching.

Black Widow must have dozed off herself, because she suddenly hear the roar of a Night Fury. She opened her eyes and lifted her head. She listened and heard the roar again. Feeling hopeful, she let out her own roar. Edelweiss woke up.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"I heard Toothless," said Black Widow. She roared again, and Toothless roared back. They kept at it, Toothless sounded closer each time. Then there came the sound of digging. Light soon came in and almost blinded them. Edelweiss and Black Widow looked up to see Toothless, Skullcrusher, and their riders digging them out of the snow.

"You guys okay?" Hiccup asked. "What happened?"

"We're fine," said Edelweiss. "We tried to escape a big avalanche, but it caught us."

"Hmm, I guess we should have run a few avalanche drills," said Hiccup. Black Widow slowly got to her feet and shook the snow off her scales. Eret helped Edelweiss to her feet. She had to lean on him, until she regained her balance.

"We should get you back to the Edge," said Hiccup. "Your parents are worried about you, as are your friends."

"Okay, thanks for digging us out," said Edelweiss.

"You're welcome," said Hiccup. Edelweiss mounted Black Widow, and untied the rope that bound them together. Black Widow spread her wings and took off.

They headed for the stables where their family was waiting. They were really surprised when they saw Avalon outside on the runway, with everyone around her to help her walk. Black Widow landed.

"Avalon you're up," said Edelweiss.

"Yes, I can walk a bit now," said Avalon, sounding tense. "It hurts though."

"It's going to hurt Avalon," said Serenity. "But the more you walk, the better you'll feel."

"Well, what happened to you guys?" Windwalker asked.

"We were dragon sledding, and we got buried by an avalanche," said Black Widow. "I tried to get out of its way, but failed. But we're not hurt." Edelweiss dismounted and went to sit beside her parents.

"How was dragon sledding?" Chris asked.

"It was really fun," said Black Widow. "We went so fast."

"You guys should come try it next time," Edelweiss said to her friends. "You'll really like it." Avalon looked over at Apollo and Eider.

"What do you guys think?" She asked.

"Maybe later," said Apollo. "I'm not in the mood to be eaten by an avalanche."

"We'd have a better shot at not getting hit if we were all there," said Avalon. She shifted her weight and suddenly she collapsed, roaring in pain. Serenity got up and went over to her, followed by Apollo and Chris.

"You okay?" Serenity asked. Avalon took several deep breaths before answering.

"Can I go back to my stall?" She moaned.

"It is getting late," Chris said.

"All right," said Serenity. "But you have to get up and walk there." Avalon took more deep breaths and hoisted herself to her feet. Then she slowly turned around and headed back towards her stall. She stumbled a few times, but she was able to get back up. She made it back to her stall and laid down.

"Good job Avalon," said Serenity. "You should do that everyday, if you want to get better."

"I will," said Avalon. "Thanks Serenity." She made herself comfortable.

"You going to be okay?" Chris asked.

"I'll be okay," said Avalon. "I'm just tired." All of Avalon's friends laid down around her. Chris sighed.

"I'm sorry you had to hear me shouting all the time," he said. "I didn't mean to make you miserable." Avalon smiled and hoisted herself up again so she could look him the eye.

"It's okay Chris," she said. "I'd probably get upset if you had been struck by lightening. I know you're worried about me, and I'm flattered." She nudged his shoulder. "I'd hug you if I wan't afraid of falling over."

"Don't worry about it," Chris said. "Get better first." Avalon laid back down and breathed a sigh of relief. Chris took Serenity's hand and they left the stables. A moment later the adult dragons were heard flying away. Avalon closed the doors with her magic.

"So how'd you survive the avalanche?" Eider asked Edelweiss.

"Black Widow shielded me from the snow with her body and wings," said Edelweiss. "It created an air pocket that helped us breathe until we were rescued. It was a bit of wait."

"I certainly was cozy in there though," said Black Widow, resting her head on Edelweiss's shoulder. Avalon gave a small smile, that didn't match her eyes.

"I really hope no other dragons get into a relationship like this," she said.

"Don't worry Avalon," said Apollo. "I have my heart set on a female."

"I do too," said Eider, winking at Avalon. Then he turned back to Edelweiss and Black Widow. "It will take a while for us to get used to this."

"Don't worry, we promise to keep it low key," said Black Widow. "As long as you let us stay together."

"That's fair," said Avalon. "And don't abandon the team either."

"Oh never," said Edelweiss. "We love you guys too."

"I'm glad we got that settled," said Avalon, yawning. "It's been a long day for all of us."

"Yeah I'm tired," said Apollo. He laid his head down on his front talons.

"Me too," said Edelweiss. "Even though I feel asleep under that avalanche."

"Well, getting hit with mountains of snow takes it out of you," said Black Widow, laying her head down.

"Good night guys," said Avalon. She closed her eyes and fell asleep. The other dragons followed suite. Black Widow and Edelweiss were the last to fall asleep. Edelweiss laid on her back, and Black Widow pulled her close with her tail and front legs.

"Thanks for shielding me," Edelweiss said.

"You're welcome," said Black Widow. With that they fell asleep together.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Avalon soon made a full recovery. She was walking and flying again. She was very happy and grateful to her friends and family, including Serenity and Draco. She and her friends slept outside again. They played in the woods or the lagoon. Edelweiss and Black Widow showed them dragon sledding, which they enjoyed. They also spent time with their elders and the Berkians. Avalon and Hiccup started to become real friends, and Hiccup would give her some pointers for when she was queen. Avalon also started making jewelry with the supplies Jewel had send her from home. She made herself new peacock wristbands and collar.

Early one morning Tenor, Windwalker, and Black Widow came back from a group hunt. They landed on the cliff near the others, who were already awake. Aurora seemed excited about something.

"Good morning," she said. "You have a good hunt?"

"We did," said Windwalker. Black Widow ran to her friends, and Edelweiss hugged her.

"Well, my father came to me last night," said Aurora. "And he wants to let the spirits visit Earth the next full moon, then if it goes well he'll let them visit every Winter Solstice." Windwalker perked up at this news.

"So, I'll see my parents again?" She asked, happily.

"Yup," said Aurora. "Re's going to get to see his parents too." Re looked really happy. Everyone seemed excited, except for Tenor. He looked distressed, Windwalker was quick to notice. She'd seen what Tenor had gone through when Re's parents had been on the throne. Aurora noticed too.

"You'll be fine Tenor," she said. "They're just spirits, they can't hurt you."

"And my parents my be judgmental at first, but they won't hate you," Windwalker said. "They won't say anything mean." Tenor took a deep breath.

"It's not me I'm worried about," he said, looking at Black Widow. "They can bully me all they want, but I don't want them bullying her." Black Widow looked at him with soft eyes.

"Don't worry about me Daddy," she said. "I'll be okay. It's only for one night." She went over and nuzzled his neck.

"She's made of tough stuff," Windwalker said. "No one here will let her get bullied." Tenor took another deep breath, and relaxed. "You can go play Black Widow." Black Widow hesitated, but then went over to her friends. Edelweiss mounted her and they headed off.

They walked to the lagoon. They were excited about the spirits coming to Earth.

"I'll get to meet our other grandparents," said Avalon happily. "That'll be fun."

"I'll get to see my my parents again," said Eider. "I've really missed them. And Black Widow gets to meet her grandparents."

"You nervous?" Apollo asked Black Widow.

"A little," said Black Widow. "But Mother assures us that her parents aren't cruel. They do keep an open mind."

"I think they'll be very happy to see you," said Avalon. "You're their only grandchild."

"That's true," said Black Widow. "You think your grandparents will like me? They turned a blind eye to Daddy's suffering."

"Father said they were very superstitious," said Apollo. "According to them because they never saw Tenor get attacked, it never happened." Black Widow sighed.

"That's so mean," she said.

"They loved the rest of the country though," said Avalon. "Tenor was the only one they didn't like. I'm sure Draco wasn't happy about them being so mean to him."

They soon reached the lagoon. It was very still and quiet. They ran into the water and splashed around. Then they dove into the deeper water of the lagoon and explored the caves and crevasses below. They caught a few fish for a snack. Then they returned to the beach to lay in the sun. Edelweiss sat next Black Widow and lovingly stroked her neck. The other dragons didn't mind, they'd gotten pretty used to Edelweiss and Black Widow's bazar relationship.

"You guys can have alone time if you wish," said Avalon.

"We plan to head to our clearing later," said Black Widow. "Thanks though. We have at least another week until the full moon. So we'll go there for a little bit every day until then." Avalon nodded.

"We plan to go hunt later anyway," said Eider. "You'll have most of the day to be together."

"Thanks," said Black Widow.

After an hour of being in the sun; Avalon, Apollo, and Eider took off for their hunt. Edelweiss mounted Black Widow and they headed for their clearing. Black Widow landed and Edelweiss got off. She wormed close to Black Widow's chest, and Black Widow put a wing around her. Then Black Widow gently pushed her against a nearby tree, and they kissed. They did it over and over. Edelweiss caressed Black Widow's face in her hands, Black Widow sat on her haunches so she could put a paw on Edelweiss's face.

"So, I'm curious," Edelweiss said between kisses. "What are the plans for this relationship when we get home?" Black Widow didn't answer at first, for a few minuets.

"Well," she said finally. "We can't officially mate until we find our new team member. But I can still treat you as my mate. Or what's the term you humans use?"

"Wife?" Edelweiss said. "Is that the term you want to use?"

"Maybe," said Black Widow. "I might use both." She nuzzled Edelweiss's face and neck. Then she went back to kissing her.

"Have you come up with how you want to mate?" Edelweiss asked.

"I've thought of a few ways," said Black Widow. "Hush now." They fell silent and kept kissing each other, focusing on nothing else. They payed so much attention to each other, that they didn't see the dark shape in the woods, watching them then slipping away silently. They pulled apart after their latest kiss. Black Widow lowered her head and gently pressed her muzzled against Edelweiss's chest, and Edelweiss held her dragon's head close to her body. She rested her cheek on Black Widows forehead, and kissed the red hour glass.

"Thanks for being here with me," Edelweiss said. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," said Black Widow. "I'm glad I have you. I know we can't mate yet, but I'm going to love you and treat you as though we already are. I love you too much to be with any male."

"I'll be so happy when we finally do get to mate," said Edelweiss. "We'll have each other forever." She stroked Black Widow's neck. They kissed again, over and over. They would glue their lips together for several long minuets, until they need to draw back for a breath, then they would kiss again. Black Widow gently laid Edelweiss down onto the grass and stood over her, holding her down with her paw. Edelweiss wrapped her hands around Black Widow's head to keep it in place, and they kept kissing.

"This isn't mating is it?" Edelweiss asked between kisses. "I can't tell."

"No," said Black Widow. "I promise to tell you when the mating starts, it won't be for a while."

"Okay," said Edelweiss. "I wanted to make sure. I love you so much, but I don't want to disobey Avalon."

"Me too," said Black Widow. "We'll wait until she gives us the go ahead. Now, no more talking." They went back to kissing.

They stayed like that, for hours. Neither of them wanted to stop. But they did. Black Widow helped Edelweiss to her feet. Edelweiss climbed onto her back and they flew off. They headed back to the outpost. Their friends had already returned from their hunt. They were talking excitedly about seeing their ancestors. They looked up when Edel and Black Widow landed.

"I trust you guys had a nice time," said Avalon.

"We did," said Black Widow. "Don't worry, nothing official."

"I appreciate that," said Avalon. "I'll make it up to you, I swear."

"You know I've been thinking about you two," said Apollo. "I know you guys are in love, and I feel it would be wrong to spit you up. So if you want to mate, it's fine by me. I'll find a female for me. There's plenty out there." Black Widow exchanged a smile with Edelweiss.

"You mean it?" Edel asked.

"I mean it," said Apollo. "You guys have been together since you were newborns. We shouldn't get in your way."

"Thanks Apollo," said Black Widow. "An attitude like that will get you a mate for sure." Apollo's face seemed to turn redder.

"At least wait a year," said Avalon. "But I do think your parents should know."

"Will they understand?" Black Widow said. "I mean my father might, he's good with being different, but I don't know about Mother."

"I think they will," said Avalon. "In fact I don't they'll be that surprised. But you can wait until you're ready."

"All right," said Edelweiss.

"So, are you going to mate the human way or the dragon way?" Eider asked.

"We've agreed on the dragon way," said Black Widow. "The human way is too public for me. We just don't know what we'll do specifically. I'm leaning towards spending a whole week alone, somewhere secluded."

"The vaults," said Apollo. "It's really big, and no one goes down there much."

"That sounds perfect," said Edelweiss.

"You wait a year, and tell your parents, and I'll give you the vaults for two weeks," said Avalon.

"Deal," said Black Widow, and Edelweiss nodded. Then she hugged Black Widow.

"And you don't need to worry about getting caught," said Eider. "We'll keep the other dragons and riders occupied."

"Thanks," said Edelweiss. "You're all good friends."

They sat and talked about the coming full moon. They also sang several songs. Night soon fell and the group sang themselves to sleep. Edelweiss and Black Widow kissed each other good night, then snuggled close to each other.

Then next few days went by much the same. The closer it got to the full moon the more excited everyone got, and the more nervous Tenor got. He usually looked forward to the full moon, but this time he was dreading it. Even though every one assured him that nothing would happen to him or Black Widow. Black Widow decided to wait until the full moon passed before she told him that she was in love with Edelweiss, seeing how stressed he was. She felt so bad for him, but didn't know how to make him feel better.

Each day Black Widow and Edelweiss would spend a few hours in their clearing. They would kiss for hours. They would talk while kissing. Black Widow told Edelweiss about how worried she was about Tenor.

"Tenor can get through it," Edelweiss said. "He's stronger than he thinks. And we'll all be standing next to him." Black Widow relaxed a bit, and deepened the kiss.

The full moon got closer and closer. Re and Aurora told Hiccup and the other Berkians about the dragon spirits coming to Earth. However, the humans wouldn't be able to see the spirits just feel their presence. Tenor continued to get nervous, and he'd go for runs to calm himself down. Black Widow was nervous for him. She didn't want him to be afraid. But her mother assured her that Tenor would be just fine, he just needed to cool down.

"I hope the old king and queen aren't going to be mean to him," Black Widow said.

"If they do, I can be just as mean to them," Windwalker said, narrowing her eyes. "I already have a few choice words to say to them."

"Me too," Black Widow said. "But I heard spirits can become demonic if they're angered." She shivered at the thought. "They could posses one of us, and attack both of you."

"I don't think Draco will let that happen," said Windwalker. Black Widow sat on her haunches.

"What were your parents like?" She asked. "And what were their names?" Windwalker thought a moment.

"My father, Ahkrin, valued strength and bravery," she said. "He knew every dragon had weaknesses, but he believed every dragon had the ability to over come them. My mother, Dura, never had a problem voicing her opinion. She was critical, but never in a mean way. She was also very stern and pushed everyone to do better then their best. She valued hard work and being smart. They were loyal to each other, and their closest friends. They never turned down a dragon in need."

"Your mother was critical you say," Black Widow said, looking down at herself.

"Yes, but not prejudice," said Windwalker. "She never criticized anyone based on how they looked, just based on the choices they'd make. Like having a human on your back, or playing on thin ice."

"She didn't like humans?" Black Widow asked.

"No," said Windwalker. "Neither of them were fond of humans, they were a big headache for the whole squadron. I don't think they'll hate the humans here but they won't love them either, at least not all of them."

"They sound nice," Black Widow said. "I'm excited to meet them."

"And I'm pretty sure they're just as excited to meet you," said Windwalker. "Like Re and Aurora, they valued family over gold." Black Widow beamed. "I should go check on Tenor, I want to make sure he hasn't baled." She took off and flew over the trees. Black Widow watched her go. A moment later Fishlegs came to her, followed by Meatlug.

"Hey Black Widow, where are your friends?" Fishlegs asked.

"They're around, why?" Black Widow said.

"Hiccup wants to invite you all to a bonfire tonight," said Fishlegs. "Just you and your friends."

"Hmm, and what will happen at this bonfire?" Black Widow asked.

"We'll tell scary stories," said Fishlegs. "And eat food that we cook over the bonfire. I personally plan to tell the story of the Lykenwing, since tomorrow's the full moon."

"I'll tell the others," said Black Widow.

"Great, meet us down at the lagoon at sundown," said Fishlegs running off. Black Widow headed off to find her friends.

She found them under Astrid's hut. She joined them and informed them of Fishlegs's invitation. They all seemed interested. Black Widow laid down beside Edelweiss.

"I hope these scary stories aren't boring," said Apollo.

"Why, do you know any scary stories?" Avalon asked him smugly.

"Well no," Apollo admitted. "Nothing that would scare them anyway. They've already met Shark and they already know what a Night Fury is."

"We should go anyway," said Eider. "It would be rude to turn down an invitation."

"And we can always leave when they fall asleep," said Black Widow. They all agreed. Avalon looked over at Black Widow.

"So what have you been up to today?" She asked.

"I've been talking to Mother," said Black Widow. "Learning about my grandparents. They sound so great. I can certainly tell they're related to Mother."

"So you've not had your alone time with Edelweiss?" Apollo asked.

"No, I've been preoccupied with Daddy's worries," said Black Widow.

"You should go now," said Avalon. "We have several hours before sundown."

"But I just got here," said Black Widow.

"Yeah, but there's not much else to do for a while," said Avalon. "You might as well."

"How do we know they haven't mated behind our backs?" Eider asked.

"I would be able to tell," said Avalon. "Even though they already treat each other as mates."

"Besides, we told you we're going to mate in the castle vaults," said Edelweiss. "In a year."

"I trust them," said Avalon. "You can meet us at the lagoon when you're done."

"Thanks Avalon," said Black Widow. "We'll see you later." She and Edelweiss got to their feet and left. Edelweiss mounted Black Widow and they took off.

They landed in their clearing and Edelweiss dismounted. She instantly laid down on the grass at Black Widow's feet. Black Widow laid down beside her and rested her head on Edelweiss's chest. Edelweiss stroked her snout, tracing the lines between her scales.

"I've been thinking," Black Widow said. "When we do mate, I think I will call you my wife. That word sounds more feminine."

"Do I get to call you that too?" Edelweiss asked.

"Certainly," said Black Widow.

"You know in the human world I'm still to young to be mating," Edelweiss said.

"But not in the dragon world," said Black Widow. "By the time next year comes, you'll be just right. I think being dragonborn makes you grow up a little faster then other humans." She smiled.

"My parents gave each other a ring," Edelweiss said.

"Yes I know," said Black Widow. "It's a nice idea, but I don't want to do the exact same thing. Perhaps, I can ask Lord Draco if I can give you half my heart."

"He'll probably say don't do it unless I'm killed in battle," Edelweiss said. "Maybe Avalon can make us both pendents. A black spider for me, and white flower for you."

"Perhaps," said Black Widow. "We can talk more about it." She lifted her head so she could look Edelweiss in the eyes. She smiled warmly. "Edelweiss Dragonborn, my future wife. I like the sound of that."

"Me too," said Edelweiss. "Can we kiss now, future wife?"

"Sure," Black Widow said. They kissed without hesitation. Edelweiss caressed Black Widow's cheeks, ears, and neck.

Edelweiss lay there, kissing her future wife until sundown approached. They got to their feet and headed out of the clearing. They walked this time, so they could spend a little longer together. Edelweiss kept her hand on Black Widow's neck. When they reached the edge of the woods Edelweiss mounted Black Widow and rode her down to the lagoon.

The other dragonets were there already, but the Berkians weren't there yet. They looked up when when Black Widow and Edelweiss joined them.

"Right on time guys," said Apollo. "We all appear to be early."

"The others are coming," said Avalon. "They're gathering snacks. Lets dig a fire pit while we wait." They got right to work and dug a very large fire pit. Apollo surrounded it with large rocks, and Eider filled it with large pieces of drift wood, then found several extras.

By the time they were finished, the sun had gone down and the Berkians were heading in their direction. Avalon and her friends sat around the fire. The Twins sat between Black Widow and Apollo, Hiccup and Toothless sat next to Avalon, Snotlout and Fishlegs sat on either side of Eider, Eret and Skullcrusher sat on Apollo's other side, and Astrid and Stormfly sat next to Edelweiss. When everyone was settled Hiccup turned to Toothless.

"You want to get the bonfire going bud?" He asked.

"Actually Hiccup, I want to try something," said Avalon. She looked at her friends. "Guys, we'll all fire at the fire pit at once and see what happens." The dragonets all faced the fire pit and shot their different colored flames at it. When they hit the firewood, they exploded in a huge column of rainbow fire. The vikings oohed and awed. The dragonets settled back down and let the different colored flames burn the fire would. The vikings broke out their snacks.

"You guys want some?" Snotlout asked, holding a chicken leg out to Eider.

"No thanks," said Eider. "I prefer fresher meat. Like from a freshly killed animal."

"Fishlegs why don't you get started on your scary story," said Hiccup.

"Oh, you dragonets will be getting nightmares tonight when I'm finished," said Fishlegs.

"I highly doubt that," said Avalon. "We dragons don't scare easily. The only nightmares we get around here is Hookfang." All the dragons giggled. "But carry on anyway Fishlegs." Fishlegs cleared his throat.

"This is the story of the Lykenwing," he began. "A large, black, red-eyed dragon, with a deadly bite."

"Are you serious?" Black Widow asked, offended.

"It's not you Black Widow," said Astrid. "This dragon doesn't even exist." However both Twins scooted away from Black Widow.

"Anyway," said Fishlegs. "This dragon is said to stalk human victims, waiting to catch one. Then it pounces on the unsuspecting viking and bites it, before letting him go."

"Like a Komodo Dragon," said Apollo. "They bite their pray and wait for it to die of infection. They're the most patient hunters of any dragon." Fishlegs scowled.

"Will you guys stop interrupting me?" He snapped.

"Sorry," said Apollo.

"This dragon though, doesn't kill its victim," said Fishlegs. "The victim may think he got away, until the full moon rises. Then the doomed viking undergoes a massive transformation, into a Lykenwing and is doomed to be that way for the rest of his life. He wanders the world looking for the next victim. And just because we've never seen a Lykenwing, doesn't mean one isn't searching for us. One could turn up and attack anyone of us."

"I was bitten by one," said Tuffnut. "On this very island."

"No you weren't Tuffnut," said Astrid. "We proved it was a wolf not a dragon, remember?"

"Oh right," said Tuffnut. Snotlout looked over at Black Widow.

"So, BW what do you do on the full moon?" He asked.

"I, hunt," said Black Widow uncomfortably.

"And what is it that you hunt?" Snotlout asked.

"Boars and fish mostly," said Black Widow. "Yaks too if I can find any."

"You don't honestly think Black Widow's a Lykenwing do you?" Astrid said sternly.

"She could be," said Ruffnut. "She matches the description; black scales, red eyes, hunts at night."

"She was born with red eyes, even though neither of her parents have red eyes," said Snotlout. "And she has the suspicious mark on her forehead. She says she hunts at night, but we're alway sleeping. She could be doing anything after dark." Black Widow growled. The Twins scooter farther away.

"Guys we've known Black Widow her whole life," said Hiccup. "We saw her hatch, she's not a Lykenwing."

"Yeah, but kind of strange that Edelweiss has sprouted dragon scales recently," said Ruffnut. "Black Widow could have bitten her without us knowing." She sneered at Black Widow.

"My bite kills," Black Widow said, getting to her feet. "Like Hiccup said, you saw me hatch and you know both my parents."

"You did hatch under the full moon did you not?" Snotlout said cooly. "And how do we know you mother wasn't seeing another male behind old Tenor's back." Black Widow roared and was about to lunge at Snotlout, but Edelweiss jumped in front of her and clamped her jaws shut.

"Whoa Black Widow," she cried. "Don't do anything rash."

"Did you hear what he just said?" Black Widow snarled through her clenched jaws. "I'll show him what my bite can do." Astrid jumped up and helped Edelweiss hold Black Widow back.

"Easy Black Widow," she said. "Snotlout's mouth is bigger than his brain." Black Widow stopped trying to get at Snotlout, but didn't stop growling and gnashing her teeth.

"Sorry about this guys," Edelweiss said to the group. "She is a dragon after all."

"It's okay," said Hiccup. "Snotlout went too far with that comment."

"We'll take her for a walk," said Astrid. "And get her calmed down."

"Take all the time you need," said Hiccup. Edelweiss and Astrid led Black Widow away. The atmosphere calmed when they were out of sight. Avalon looked at Fishlegs.

"You had to say the dragon was black with red eyes?" She asked.

"It is," said Fishlegs innocently. "I didn't mean to insult Black Widow."

"To his credit I heard about this dragon in my dragon trapping days," said Eret. "He got the look just right. Black with red eyes." Avalon glared at him. "But I don't think Black Widow's a Lykenwing."

'But she could be," Snotlout said again.

"Yeah, she looks just like one," said Ruffnut, and Tuffnut nodded

"Okay, how about we talk about something else," said Hiccup.

"Yes, let's," said Avalon. She took several deep breaths to calm herself down. She added more wood to the fire.

Astrid, Edelweiss, and Black Widow walked up the beach away from the bonfire. Black Widow had calmed down, but still looked angry.

"Thanks Astrid," said Edelweiss.

"You're welcome," said Astrid, patting Black Widow on the neck. "I've had to put with Snotlout's insults my entire dragon riding career. You'd be surprised the things he's said to me."

"I would have been able to ignore him," said Black Widow. "But then he made that remark about my mother."

"Yeah that was really low," said Edelweiss.

"You have a good excuse to thrash him with your tail now," said Astrid.

"No, I'll just tell Mother what Snotlout said," said Black Widow, smirking. "That's way worse." She snorted. Then she looked at Astrid. "Do you think I'm a Lykenwing?"

"Of course not," said Astrid. "There's no way possible for you to be a Lykenwing." Black Widow sighed and seemed to cheer up. "You want to go back to the bonfire?"

"No, it's nicer out here," said Black Widow. "I'll probably call it a night."

"All right," said Astrid. "I'm going to head back and check on Stormfly."

"Sure," said Black Widow, smiling. "Thanks Astrid." Astrid turned and headed back to the bonfire. Black Widow and Edelweiss were left alone.

"You know, you may not be a Lykenwing," said Edelweiss. "But there might be one out there somewhere."

"Yeah maybe," said Black Widow. "But I'm not up to looking for it right now."

"All right," said Edelweiss. "So what do you want to do?"

"I want to back to the outpost," said Black Widow. "I want to talk to Mother, Daddy should know as well." Edelweiss mounted her and they flew off.

They went back to the outpost and found the adult Draconians. They were lounging around talking about the coming spirits. Tenor was nervous, but was trying to not show it. They looked up when Black Widow landed.

"You're back early," said Re. "Is everything okay."

"Yeah," said Black Widow. "We're okay."

"Are you sure?" Tenor asked, concerned. "You look upset."

"Fishlegs was talking about the Lykenwing," said Edelweiss.

"Oh, I remember the Lykenwing story," said Tenor.

"Fishlegs described it as a black dragon with red eyes, and a deadly bite," said Black Widow.

"Oh, yeah I can see how that would upset you," said Aurora.

"Then Snotlout and the Twins started thinking I was a Lykenwing," Black Widow said. "They were really convinced." Tenor and Windwalker exchanged a glance.

"How do they figure that?" Windwalker asked.

"You're not going to like it Mother," said Black Widow. "Snotlout said he thinks you were seeing another dragon behind Father's back." Everyone gasped, and Windwalker looked furious.

"He said what!?" She roared, jumping to her feet. "Oh, how dare he say that. What did you say to him?"

"I was about to rip his tongue out," said Black Widow. "But Edelweiss and Astrid took me for a walk. It cleared my head and I figured I'd tell you first. You have a right to know."

"I appreciate that," said Windwalker, seething with fury. "Snotlout will pay for that."

"Can it wait until after the full moon?" said Aurora. "The last thing I want is a bloodbath." Windwalker took a deep breath and settled down.

"Very well," she said. "Don't worry Black Widow, you're no Lykenwing." Black Widow smiled.

"You going back to the bonfire?" Tenor asked.

"No, we want to call it a night," said Black Widow. "Tomorrow's the full moon."

"All right," said Windwalker said, calming down more. "You can leave Snotlout to me." Edelweiss mounted Black Widow.

"Thanks Mother," Black Widow said. She took off and headed over the woods.

They landed on the cliffs over the ocean. They could see the smoke from the bonfire. Edelweiss dismounted and stood beside her friend.

"You feeling better?" She asked.

"I am," said Black Widow. "Now that Mother knows." She sighed and laid down on the grass. Edelweiss sat next to her.

"What do you want to do now?" She asked. "While we wait for the others." Black Widow crooned and turned to face her future mate.

"I have nothing in mind," she said. Edelweiss laid head down on Black Widow's neck and held Black Widow's head in her hands.

"Then let's just sit here and enjoy each other's company," she suggested.

"Works for me," said Black Widow. Edelweiss kissed her on the mouth. Black Widow kissed her back, curling her tail and wing around her. They kissed for several minuets. Then Edelweiss laid down on her back. Black Widow crawled on top of her and looked her future mate in the eye. Edelweiss caressed Black Widow's face. She pulled her dragon's head down onto her chest and held it there. They stayed like that, even after they fell asleep.

When they woke the sun was up, and the other dragonets were sleeping around them. Black Widow lifted her head and looked around. The Edge was quiet and still. She looked down at Edelweiss who was smiling at her.

"Good morning beautiful," Edelweiss said. "Big night tonight."

"Yup," said Black Widow. "I'm excited. But what are we going to do to pass the time?"

"I don't know," said Edelweiss. "There's no snow left for dragon sledding." She caressed Black Widow's face and gave her a good morning kiss. When the kiss ended Avalon and the others woke up.

"Morning guys," said Black Widow.

"How are you Black Widow?" Avalon asked. "We didn't see you after you left. Not that I blame you."

"We turned in early," said Edelweiss. "What happened with Snotlout?" Avalon looked thrilled.

"He now has a black eye and swollen lip," she said. "Curtesy of Astrid."

"And Windwalker was totally giving him the death glare," Apollo laughed. "Snotlout won't be calling you a Lykenwing anymore." Black Widow smirked.

"So what are we going to do until sundown?" Edelweiss asked.

"Mother and Father wants all of us to meet on the other side of the volcano," said Avalon. "Since this is for dragons only."

"Let's get up, we're leaving after we eat," said Apollo. They all got to their feet and stretched. The dragonets headed out to sea to fish, and Edelweiss waited for them.

She watched them from the cliff. They were soon joined by their elders. They were all really excited, except for Tenor. Edelweiss was joined by her parents.

"Big night for them," Edelweiss said.

"Yup," said Serenity.

"This is so exciting," said Edelweiss.

"We're not going," Chris said.

"Huh what?" Edelweiss asked, shocked.

"This is for dragons only," Serenity said. "It has nothing to do with us humans."

"But I'm half dragon," Edelweiss pointed out.

"And half human," said Serenity, more sternly. "So you're still not going." Edelweiss sighed.

"All right," she said. "Sorry."

"It's fine," Chris said. "Besides I have something for you later." Edelweiss looked interested.

"What is it?" She asked, though she could already guess the answer.

"I'll show you when it gets here," Chris said. "It should arrive today."

"All right," Edelweiss said. She smiled. She did look forward to spending the day with her parents, though it would be a bit different without the dragons.

The dragons soon returned from their hunt. Chris told them that the three of them would remain at the outpost while the dragons went to the other side of the volcano. Edelweiss said good bye to her friends, rather reluctantly.

"We'll tell you everything that happens," Avalon promised.

"I look forward to it," said Edelweiss. "I'll see you guys tomorrow." The young dragons took off with their elders. Edelweiss followed her parents towards the outpost.

The two formations of dragons flew over the volcano. They spotted the Berkian dragons also flying away from the outpost, except for Toothless who couldn't fly. The Draconians soon arrived at the opposite shore and landed in an open space. They walked out onto a tall cliff. They could see the sky very clearly. Avalon folded her wings.

"We have several hours to kill before sundown," Tenor said.

"We'll go find something to do," said Avalon. "We won't go too far."

The dragonets spent most of their day together, then Eider and Avalon headed alone. Eider walked beside Avalon. He admired her out of the corner of his eye. She moved so gracefully. Her whole body was very slender, more so then any other female Whippertail he'd seen. Her teal green scales glittered like rainbow jewels in the sunlight, and her lavender eyes were so bright and full of color. Her slender figure made her wings look enormous. Eider couldn't stop looking at her, she noticed.

"See something you like Eider?" She asked sweetly.

"Would you get mad if I said yes?" Eider asked. Avalon paused.

"Only if it wasn't the truth," she said.

"Then yes I do," said Eider. "I think you're really beautiful, both inside and out." Avalon smiled. "And I think you'll be a great queen."

"Thank you," she said. "I hope my grandparents agree with you. They might not like me having a human on my team, even if she is dragonborn."

"Do they know about her?" Eider asked. Avalon nodded.

"Our ancestors see everything we do," she said. "Your parents have been watching you your whole life."

"And tonight I see them again," Eider said happily.

"What were their names?" Avalon asked.

"Pyrrhia and Taipan," said Eider. "My mother was really beautiful, light indigo with amber eyes."

"Well that explains you," said Avalon. "Purple in color, amber eyes, and really beautiful." She winked at him. Eider chuckled. "Was your father purple?"

"He had the colors and markings of a coral snake," Eider said. "With yellow eyes. I could always pick him out of a crowd." Avalon stepped closer to him.

"Where did you hatch?" She asked.

"I don't remember what it was called," said Eider. "But I can show you what it looked like." He closed his eyes and let his mind go back to the place he'd hatched. He let the images play in his mind, knowing that Avalon could see them.

Avalon saw the images of a massive space that was clearly underground. She couldn't see a ceiling, a floor, or any walls. All she saw were tall rock columns, taller then any tree she'd seen. They were covered in different colored glowing crystals. Then she saw that it wasn't just the crystals that were glowing, but the plants and fungi too. They lit the place up with lights in different shades of blue and green and purple and red and yellow. The crystals were quite large too, bigger than her. The plants and fungi looked things you'd find in the ocean. Then she saw huge glowing sunstones. The image changed. Avalon now saw what looked like a colossal hole in the middle of the ocean. It looked big enough to swallow Berk's whole island. Water gushed into it, but didn't fill up the hole. Huge clouds of steam rose up out it. There were a few large boulders scattered around the rim.

Eider opened his eyes. Avalon took a moment to contemplate what she saw.

"That was incredible," she said. "I've never seen a place like that."

"I hope to find it again one day," Eider said. "Doesn't look like a hard place to miss."

"You don't know where it is?" Avalon asked.

"We left when I was old enough to fly, and we haven't been back since," Eider said. Avalon stepped closer.

"Don't worry, we'll find it someday," she said gently. "The entrance looks like a volcano. Father told me a lot about them. I think that one's called a caldera, very big but not very tall."

"There's volcanos in the ocean?" Eider asked, impressed.

"Oh yeah," said Avalon. "Father thinks there's more volcanos in the ocean then there are on land."

"You think you'll get into volcanos like he is?" Eider asked.

"I don't think so," said Avalon. "I mean I see why he likes them, they're mountains that breathe fire. But I'm more into a different side of the Earth; rocks, minerals, plants, animals, that kind of stuff."

"And peacocks?" Eider asked, running a talon over the wrist band on Avalon's left wrist.

"Peacocks are animals," said Avalon. She admired her wristbands fondly. "What do you think you'll get into?"

"I don't know," said Eider. "I haven't found my area of interest yet, but I'm thinking of geography. I've traveled for a good chunk of my life." Avalon moved closer to him.

"You love traveling?" She asked. Eider nodded and smiled. Avalon was really close to him now. He blushed.

"What are you thinking about Princess?" He asked.

"I'm thinking of Eidel and Black Widow," said Avalon. "They plan to mate next year."

"You hoping to do the same with me?" Eider asked.

"Perhaps," said Avalon. "But I want to wait until we find a female for Apollo." She touched her wing to Eider's. He shuddered with pleasure. "My parents mated they were crowned."

"Hmm, that's an idea," said Eider. "It's a nice contrast."

"Yeah, that's what I'd like to do," said Avalon.

"Fine by me," said Eider. He casually entwined his tail around hers. "You want to go back to the others?"

"Mmm, no," Avalon said with a sigh. "We have a few hours left. I just want to stay right here." She wormed her body into his. Eider shuddered again. Her body felt amazing. He draped his wing over her and pulled her closer to him. Avalon felt his heart beat faster. She tucked her snout under his throat. Eider laid down and Avalon laid down beside him. She snuggled close to him.

"I can't wait for my parents to meet you," Eider said. "They'll be so thrilled." Avalon smiled.

"I look forward to meeting them," she said.

They sat there for the next few hours. They sang a few love songs until they dozed off. Sundown was quickly approaching. Avalon was roused from her doze by Apollo calling for her and Eider. She sat up and shot her jade green fire into the air. Apollo appeared and hovered over them. Avalon noticed that he now wore a leather utility vest that sat under his saddle, and had open slots for his wings. It had different sized pockets all over it.

"Nice vest," Eider said, also sitting up.

"Thanks," said Apollo, admiring it. "Alto just brought it."

"Alto!?" Said Avalon, shocked. "She's here?"

"Yeah," said Apollo. "She volunteered to bring up this vest when it was done. She plans to stay the night." Avalon and Eider got to their feet. They took off and followed Apollo back to the others.

They found Re and Aurora talking to a sand colored dragon with black spots. She seemed happy to be with her old friends again. The younger dragons landed next to them. Alto looked at them.

"Avalon, look how pretty you've gotten," she praised. Avalon smiled.

"Hi Alto," she said.

"You guys ready to meet your ancestors?" Alto asked.

"We sure are," said Apollo. Just then Tenor, Windwalker, and Black Widow joined them. Tenor spotted Alto.

"Hi Alto," he said.

"Hi Tenor," said Alto. "And family." She smiled at Windwalker and Black Widow. Though Alto didn't really like Tenor that much, she still had a lot of respect for Windwalker. She also liked Black Widow. Re must have sensed Tenor's worry, because he spoke up.

"Lets not make this ugly," he said. "Tenor's under a lot of stress over this."

"Yes I'd imagine so," said Alto.

"The spirits will be here soon," said Aurora. "We should move to the cliff so they can find us." They headed out of the trees. Black Widow walked beside Alto.

"You don't like my father do you?" She asked.

"I used to," said Alto. "Then he went into hiding and he thought he could spend all his time in the castle."

"We're nocturnal," Black Widow said. "We go out at night. My father's a great dragon. He's saved so many lives, mine included." Alto sighed.

"I don't hate him," she said. "I've never hated him. I know you love him, and he seems to really love you. He just angers me for some reason."

They all gathered on the cliffs and watched the sun go down. Tenor paced up down nervously. Alto watched him, irritated. Windwalker watched him too, more worried.

"Will you calm down Tenor?" Alto snapped. "At least the full moon will be out." Windwalker narrowed her eyes at her.

"Not helping Alto," she said. She got up and went over to Tenor, blocking him. "Tenor you don't have to talk to the old king and queen if you don't want to, since they were so mean to you."

"I don't plan to," Tenor said. He sat on his haunches. He took several deep breaths and relaxed. "And the full moon will be out. I can do this." He looked up at the sky as the stars began to appear. The dragons watched the sky with anticipation. Moments later the constellation Draco appeared and shone brighter then ever. Suddenly thousands of shooting stars shot out of the constellation and shot across the sky in different directions. Two of them headed for the island. They streaked over the dragon's heads and landed in the woods with a bright flash. Then there came a loud roar. Windwalker recognized the roar at once.

"Mother," she said, excitedly. She ran off into the woods. Tenor and Black Widow followed her.

They wandered through the trees to where the spirits had landed. They came into a small meadow, where two titan wing Night Furies were standing. They were twice the size of Windwalker. They looked solid, but had a thin blue-white glow around their figures. One had amber yellow eyes like Windwalker, the other had jade green eyes like Toothless. They were talked among themselves, but looked up when Windwalker stepped out of the tree line. Black Widow and Tenor followed, Tenor more hesitantly.

"Windwalker!" The yellowed eyed dragon exclaimed.

"Mother, Father," exclaimed Windwalker. She ran to her parents and they nuzzled each other happily. Tenor and Black Widow stayed where they were for the moment. Black Widow, happy to see Windwalker reunited with her parents, nuzzled Tenor joyfully. He smiled at her, then turned back to the two spirits.

"Oh, Windwalker you're all grown up," said the green eyed dragon proudly.

"And with a family of your own," said the yellow eyed dragon. She looked over at Tenor and Black Widow. Tenor swallowed hard and flexed his claws into the dirt.

"That's my mate Tenor, and our dragonet Black Widow," Windwalker said. "Tenor's real nervous about meeting new dragons."

"You're Dura and Ahkrin," said Black Widow

"That's right," said Ahkrin. Dura looked over at Tenor, who appeared to be focusing on his breathing.

"You okay?" She asked.

"I'm fine," Tenor said. "Just give me a minuet." He sat down and kept focusing on his breathing.

"It's okay Daddy, they're nice," Black Widow said. Ahkrin walked up to Tenor. They were of similar hight and build. Tenor kept focusing on his breathing, and tried to stop is legs from shaking.

"We've heard quite a bit about you," Ahkrin said.

"Have you?" Tenor asked.

"The dragons that fought those eastern humans, and were killed in battle," Ahkrin said. "They told us about the group of dragons, and humans, that came to their mountain and fought with them. They said you fought valiantly. Even when Windwalker threw you out, you still went back and saved her life. That takes a special kind of dragon."

"We're very grateful to you Tenor," Dura said. "We were skeptical of you at first." Tenor opened his mouth to speak.

"No, not because you're not a full Night Fury," Ahkrin said. "But because of what happened with Syrik."

"Right," Tenor said. He calmed down fully. "I don't blame you. That's one of the reason I'm so nervous. I thought you'd think I was as bad as my murderous brother." Dura perked her ears up.

"Syrik was your brother?" She asked.

"Yes," Tenor said. "I had no idea until I met my parents a few years ago." He swallowed again.

"Who were your parents?" Ahkrin said.

"NightWing and Firefly," Tenor said.

"I think we might have heard of them," Dura said. "One was a Night Fury and the other a Blackfang."

"Yes," said Tenor.

"It's the good son and the bad seed," Windwalker said. Aukrin circled Tenor, inspecting him. Black Widow went over to stand beside her mother. Tenor stood rooted to the spot. He thought he would faint. Ahkrin must have sensed his distress.

"Take it easy son," he said. "I'm not going to hold something against you for a crime someone else did." Tenor let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He felt his body relaxed. "Why don't we go for a walk, just you and me?" Tenor tensed again. He looked over at Windwalker.

"It's okay Tenor, he's not trying to lure you into a trap," Windwalker assured him.

"I can't anyway," Ahkrin said. "Lord Draco has a very fixed eye on all the spirits, he wants to make sure nothing bad happens." Tenor relaxed and sighed.

"All right," he said. Ahkrin walked into the trees and Tenor followed him. Dura watched them vanish into the darkness.

"What happened to him?" She asked. "I've never seen a full grown dragon that scared before."

"He was attacked a lot as a dragonet," Windwalker said. "All because no one knew what kind of dragon he was or where he came from. They would lure him away from Re and Aurora and then rip him up real bad."

"The king and queen at the time were really superstitious," said Black Widow. "The didn't trust him. And as far as they were concerned, because they never saw him attacked, it didn't happen."

"Ouch," said Dura. "They just turned a blind eye?"

"Yes," said Windwalker. "And if Tenor fought of his attackers, he would be the one that was punished."

"But it ended when Re and Aurora became king and queen though," said Black Widow. "They don't share the same superstitions."

"Yet Tenor's still afraid," Dura said, it wasn't a question. "Has he been attacked at all since Re became king?"

"No," said Windwalker. "He's doing much better now. He might still be afraid, but he came tonight without running away or hiding."

"That is true," said Dura. "And he is willing to go with Ahkrin. I can see why you picked him over the other Night Fury alpha."

"Toothless is a great dragon," said Windwalker. "And the dragons up here respect him a lot. But He's a little too dependent on his human rider."

"Hey maybe Daddy will show Grandfather the outpost," said Black Widow. Dura looked at her, narrowing her eyes.

"You mean humans?" She asked.

"They're good humans," said Black Widow. "Very loyal, and very entertaining."

"Yes we heard you'd taken in a human," said Dura. "Though they did say we was a great fighter, and valued the life of a dragon over the life a human."

"We could never have won that war without Chris," said Windwalker. "Or his family."

"So he was really adopted by Re and Aurora?" Dura asked.

"They never turn down someone in need," said Black Widow. "They even made an alliance with a human village called Berk, so they could help them defeat all their enemies. Daddy gets a real thrill out of fighting bad guys."

"And who are the other two humans?" Dura asked.

"Chrs's wife Serenity, and their dragonborn daughter Edelweiss," said Windwalker. "Serenity's the best dragon healer I know."

"So it is true, Lord Draco created a dragonborn child," said Dura. "Word had spread through the Dragon Heaven that he did."

"The humans don't like it, but the dragons down here love it," said Black Widow. "Myself especially." Dura thought a moment.

"Well, I won't deny that Re and Aurora have made some risky decisions," she said. "But I also can't deny that they seemed to have made Draconia a better place. You've made some risky decisions yourself Windwalker."

"Leaders do that," Windwalker said.

"Indeed," said Dura. She took a deep breath. "So Black Widow, why don't you introduce me to those friends of yours. Tenor and Ahkrin will join us on their own time." Black Widow smiled.

"They're out on the cliff," she said. She turned and pranced out of the clearing.

Tenor and Ahkrin walked through the woods. They were going in a big circle. Tenor looked up at the full moon every once in a while. He had gone over his whole past with Ahkrin.

"Wow, you really did have it rough as a dragonet," Ahkrin said. "I guess I shouldn't be so surprised that you're a bit shy. Windwalker was very shy when she was young."

"Yes, she was lucky to have you guys," Tenor said. "I'm just so glad the attacks are over, and even more glad that Black Widow didn't have to go through that herself."

"She turned out beautiful," Ahkrin said. "So all three of you have humans that ride on your backs."

"Yeah," Tenor said. "My rider's an amazing dragon healer. And Black Widow's rider, Edelweiss, is dragonborn."

"Dragonborn, yes we'd heard about a dragonborn child," Ahkrin said. "So is she here?"

"She and the other humans are back at the outpost," Tenor said. "Humans can't see spirits."

"I see," Ahkrin said. "Is that other Night Fury a friend of yours?"

"Toothless?" Tenor said. "Yeah. He's the first Night Fury I've ever met, we fought in battle several times."

"And how does Black Widow do in battle?" Ahkrin asked. Tenor paused.

"She and her friends haven't fought in battle yet," he said. "They're very sad about it too."

"Hmm, they're lucky," Ahkrin said. "Folks die in battle."

"Yes I know," Tenor said. "It's not all as fun as they think. I hope they never fight in battle, and that they see that they are just as special as we are even though they never fight in battle."

"Lord Draco says there might be one last war to fight," Ahkrin said. "Before all dragons fade into mythology."

"How often do you see Draco up there?" Tenor asked.

"More often then you do down here," said Ahkrin. He looked Tenor up and down again. "You feeling better?"

"Yes, talking helps," Tenor said.

"Good, because we do like you, and Black Widow," Ahkrin said. "We've been looking forward to meeting you. You're family."

"Windwalker said you valued family over gold like we do," Tenor said.

"We do, family and friendship means everything to us," Ahkrin said. "I've never seen gold in my life, though I have seen enormous crystals before."

"Lots of natural wonders on this planet," Tenor said.

"And in the heavens," said Ahkring, as they turned in the direction of the cliffs. "So tell me about your comrades, what are their interests?"

"Re studies volcanos," Tenor said. "He plans to open a lab when he retires. Aurora collects magical items, and keeps them in our castle so they don't fall into the wrong hands."

"What about you?" Ahkrin asked.

"I study astronomy," Tenor said. "I'm a nightly dragon, so I see the moon and stars a lot. I have my own observatory and planetarium back home. I can also navigate using the stars."

"Very appropriate," Ahkrin said. "You've never gotten lost?"

"Nope," said Tenor. "I've taught both Windwaker and Black Widow how to do it." He smiled for the first time that night.

"Good for you," Ahkrin said. "Now lets get back to the cliff. I have a few choice words to say to those other spirits."

They talked more as they drew closer to the cliffs. They could hear the other dragons talking. They could also hear Windwalker, Black Widow, and Dura walking towards the cliff. They came out of the woods at the same time. Windwalker smiled when she saw Tenor getting along with her father. He seemed a lot happier. She went over to him.

"Not so bad anymore is it?" She said.

"No," said Tenor.

"You can always count on family," Dura said. Tenor smiled in agreement. They went over to the other dragons. Five more spirits were among the group. One was dark brown with orange eyes, one was light blue with a dark blue stripe down her neck and back, one was dappled grey, one was light indigo with white circles on her wings, and one had the colors and markings of a coral snake. They all looked up from their conversation when the nightly dragons approached.

"Wow Night Furies," said the grey dragon. "And two halves."

"Quiet Pepper," said the brown dragon. "Let's not give Lord Draco a reason to end this visit." The grey dragon shut her mouth.

"So you're the ones who let Tenor get attacked," Windwalker said narrowing her eyes.

"Yes," said Queen Idriss sadly.

"Why?" Black Widow asked. "He never hurt anyone, unless he was defending himself. And even when he did defend himself you punished him for it. Why let just let him suffer?" Tenor was starting to look uncomfortable.

"Look guys, as much as I appreciate you standing up for me," he said. "The fact that my Night Fury half accepts me better then my Blackfang half, puts me in a forgiving mood."

"Still what kind of rulers just pretends attacks don't happen just because they didn't see it?" Windwalker snapped. Tenor facepalmed. Jack and Idriss exchanged a glance.

"We didn't want to admit anything was wrong," Idriss said.

"Oh whatever," Windwalker growled. "There is no excuse for letting a dragon suffer. If he was dropped at my cave, I would have actually taken care of him no matter what he looked like."

"Like I said, my Night Fury half accepts me," Tenor said, more to himself. Suddenly Avalon jumped between Windwalker and her grandparents.

"Guys can we please not fight?" She begged, but firmly. "This is supposed to be a happy thing." Windwalker kept glaring, but didn't say anything.

"Besides, we know now what Tenor went through," Jack said, looking fearfully at Windwalker. "Lord Draco made us watch all the times he was attacked before he let us live in the glass palace." Idriss looked over at Tenor.

"We are so sorry Tenor," she said sincerely. "That should never have happened to you. We should never have allowed that to happened to you." Tenor gave her a small smile.

"All is forgiven," he said. "Right Windwalker?" Windwalker sighed.

"Yes," she said quietly. She went over to stand next to him. Jack and Idriss looked relieved. Avalon smiled and went back over to stand beside Apollo. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Eider a short ways off with his parents.

"Thanks Avalon," said Idriss. She looked over at Re and Aurora. "She's got the makings of a great queen."

"Yes," said Re proudly. "And she has a great group of friends." Avalon smiled wider and nuzzled Apollo. Just then she heard Eider calling her. She turned to look at them.

"Excuse me," she said to the others.

She went over to Eider and his parents. They smiled when she approached. Pyrrhia and Taipan were slightly smaller then Eider.

"So, you're Princess Avalon," said Pyrrhia. "You're so pretty, I love your wristbands."

"Thanks, I made them myself," said Avalon. "You guys look pretty great too."

"Eider said he met you shortly after we got shot down," Taipan said.

"Yes," said Avalon. "I wish I could have met you guys that day too." Pyrrhia smiled sadly.

"Me too," she said. "But we're so glad he found friends and foster parents, so he wasn't alone."

"Which reminds me, we need to swing by Draconia and thank Ruby and Harmony," said Taipan. "Before we return to the Eternal Skies."

"Yes, they did a great job raising Eider," said Pyrrhria.

"You guys are leaving?" Eider asked. "You just got here. Avalon nuzzled him.

"No, we can stay a bit longer," said Taipan. "We want to meet your other friends first. Especially that dragonborn."

"Edelweiss isn't here, she's spending the night with her parents," Eider said. "Humans can't see spirits."

"Edelweiss, nice word," said Taipan. "Kind of fun to say. Named after the white flowers in the Alps."

"I remember seeing those," said Pyrrhria. "So soft and fuzzy."

"You guys have everywhere," said Avalon. She turned and call over Apollo and Black Widow. "Including some weird cave under the ocean."

"Oh, I remember that place," Taipan said. "I don't remember where it is though, or the name of it. I guess it was a bad idea to leave it." He chuckled. At that moment Apollo and Black Widow joined them.

"Wow, you do look like a coral snake," said Black Widow to Taipan.

"Yup," said Taipan, admiring himself. "And proud of it."

"This is Avalon's brother Apollo, and out friend Black Widow," said Eider, pointing them out respectively.

"Black Widow, very nice," said Taipan, pleased. "It's nice to meet a fellow dragon who's named after something poisonous."

"You're named after the world's most poisonous snake," said Black Widow.

"And you're named after a pretty lethal spider," said Taipan. "You even have the black widow's mark I see." Black Widow ran a talon over the red hourglass on her forehead.

"We've seen black widow spiders in the desert," said Pyrrhia. "Real scary looking things."

"I've always wanted to see one," Black Widow said. "I only see pictures of them in books." Taipan looked at Apollo.

"And Apollo, the Greek god of the sun," he said. "Among other things of course."

"That's me," said Apollo, smiling. "Though I don't know much about the sun. I was named after the god Apollo because he's the god of music." Pyrrhria smiled and licked his cheek.

"You've got great friends Eider," she said. "And with such interesting names. I like your name too Avalon. The land of the apple trees."

"Thank you," said Avalon, blushing. She fluttered her wings. "Well what are we going to do the rest of the night?"

"Well we have to make a trip to Draconia," said Taipan. "But we can do that on our way back." He laid down on the grass. The others followed suit.

"I hope Edel's okay without us," said Apollo.

"She's fine, she's probably sleeping," said Avalon.

Back at the outpost Edelweiss and her parents were spending time with the other riders in the clubhouse. Edelweiss was listening to the others exchange stories. She hadn't said much, except for the occasional question. Chris was waiting for a delivery from Draconia. She was excited to see what it was. It was the only think she had to look forward to. The others had a lot of stories to tell. She didn't have anything to talk about. The riders had just finished telling their latest story about fighting dragon hunters. Edelweiss slumped in her seat.

"Man I wish I had a cool story to tell," she said. "My friends and I have never fought dragon hunters. Nor find any new dragon species."

"Don't worry Edel," said Astrid. "We were in our teenage years when we fist went into battle. Your's have just started."

"And there are a lot of new dragon species out there that we haven't discovered yet," said Fishlegs. "Just do me a favor and let me know when you find one."

"Sure," said Edelweiss glumly. She got to her feet and left the clubhouse, folding her arms. Everyone exchanged a glance.

"She must really miss Black Widow," said Hiccup.

"No," Chris said. "It's all our talk about battles we've fought in. I'll be right back." He got up and went after Edelweiss.

"Those guys should be glad they've never fought in battle," said Astrid. "It's not as fun as we make it out to be. Things can go very wrong and people die."

"I think that might be the problem," said Hiccup. "We talk about battle like it's some fun game they're missing out on, I don't think we really talk about the bad parts of war. They might gain a new perspective on it if we tell them how ugly battle can get."

"I hope they never fight in battle," Serenity said. "It could ruin them."

"So do we," said Hiccup. "But I'm pretty sure it will happen one day. Maybe when Edelweiss comes back in here we should talk more about dragons, and less about battle."

"That's a good plan," said Astrid.

Outside Edelweiss was leaning against the side of the clubhouse, looking out at the dark ocean. She wondered how her friends were doing. They were all tired of coming up short to the older riders. She was pulled out of her train of thought when Chris came around the corner. She looked up at him.

"Sorry, I had to get out of there," she said.

"It's fine," Chris said. "Must be really annoying to listen to a conversation you can't really take part in." He leaned against the clubhouse next to her. "All that battle talk must be wearing you down."

"Especially when you guys make it sound so exciting," Edelweiss said. "Flying over a battlefield on a Night Fury, with a squadron of dragons behind you."

"Yes that is exciting," Chris said. "But battle is not all that. We tend to sugar coat it. It's also really tragic. Imagine Black Widow getting shot down and taken away from you, then never seeing her again." Edelweiss thought a moment. It did sound really tragic.

"That would be terrible," she agreed.

"You and your friends think you have a lot to live to," Chris said. "But really you don't. You guys are the lucky ones. You've never had to watch a loved one die in front of you."

"Then what have you been training me all these years for?" Edelweiss asked.

"We really don't want you guys to fight in battle, but that doesn't mean it won't happen," Chris said. "I want you to be prepared. There's plenty of people out there who would love you kill your dragons for their skin." Edelweiss shivered at the thought.

"But are battles still ugly when you win?" She asked.

"Trust me if you ever fight in battle and it gets ugly, by the time you get through it you'll just be glad you survived," Chris said. "Winning is good, but surviving is better."

"Can life be exciting without fighting in battle?" Edelweiss asked.

"Sure," Chris said. "There's lots of exciting things out there. Like that dragon sledding, that was exciting I bet."

"Especially with that avalanche," said Edelweiss, cheering up.

"And you guys love to explore," Chris continued. "There's a lot of world out there that's way more exciting battle, and a lot of new dragons to find and make friends with." Edelweiss sighed. She was feeling better. Suddenly there came a loud screech. They both looked up to see a red Hermes Dragon flying towards them with a large box in its talons.

"Ah, it's here," Chris said, cheerfully. The Hermes Dragon landed in front of him. Chris took the box and dismissed the Hermes Dragon.

"What is it?" Edelweiss asked.

"Well, like I said we don't really want you guys to have to fight in a battle, doesn't mean it won't happen," Chris said. "And if that happens you'll need a really good weapon."

"I have my bow and arrow," Edelweiss pointed out. "And that old sword."

"Yeah, but that sword is a bit tricky to store," Chris said. "Gets in the way a lot."

"That's true," Edelweiss said.

"So, Hiccup and I got you something a little better," Chris said. He handed her the box. It was longer then it was tall. She took it and put it on the ground. She opened the lid and found a pair of long, silver sword hilts. Interested she picked them up and looked at them. They looked like the hilts of broadswords, carved into the shape of coiled up eastern dragons and had leather grips. Each of the eastern dragons had a ruby red eye.

"Let me see them for a minuet," Chris said. Edelweiss handed him the sword hilts. He took them and pressed the ruby in each hilt, and the broadsword blades swung out silently.

"Switchblade swords," said Edelweiss, excitedly. "Cool." Chris pressed the buttons again, and the blades swung back into the hilts and he handed them back. Edelweiss pressed the buttons, and blades came back out. A celtic dragon was carved into each blade, and they each had a razor sharp blade and ended in a sharp point. The swords felt very light.

"Wow," she breathed out in amazement. She folded the blades back into the hilts. Then she threw her arms around her father. "Thank you." Chris returned the hug.

"Now that doesn't mean I'm giving you permission to go looking for a fight," he said. "These are to defend your friends, if a fight ever comes to you."

"I understand," Edelweiss said, letting go.

"Good," Chris said. "Because we love you so much, and we don't want to loose you." Edelweiss smiled and hugged him again.

"I love you too," she said. "And Mother too."

"You want to go back inside?" Chris asked. "It's pretty boring out here." Edelweiss let go of him.

"All right," she said. "I can put these with my bow and arrows." She looked down at her new swords. The two of them headed back inside.

The others had gone back to talking. Edelweiss put her new swords next to her bow, arrows, and saddle.

"You like those new swords?" Hiccup asked.

"Yes, thank you," said Edelweiss.

"They're pure Gronkle Iron," Hiccup bragged. Edelweiss sat in her seat again.

"Gronkle Iron, nice," she said. "That explains why they're so lightweight."

"Anyway, we're talking about going to Berserker Island," said Astrid. "When the dragons come back. It's been a while since we've seen Heather and Windshear."

"That'll be fun," said Edelweiss. "I think Avalon will want to see the Beweilderbeast nest."

"It might be closed off," said Astrid. Edelweiss sighed and dropped it. "Just make sure you guys ask Heather first."

"All right," Edelweiss said.

"You remember Heather and Windshear right?" Astrid asked.

"I remember riding Windshear," said Edelweiss. "She's really flexible."

"Without Heather's permission," said Astrid.

"I had Windshear's permission," Edelweiss pointed out. "Isn't that enough?" Astrid considered.

"I guess," she said. "But Heather still wasn't happy with you riding her."

"Won't happen again," Edelweiss said. "I have my own dragon, and that's all I need."

"So how'd you like riding Stormfly?" Astrid asked. "Was she any different from Black Widow."

"Yeah, she's pretty quick," Edelweiss said. "Though that saddle's not the most comfortable."

"Vikings don't really do comfortable," said Astrid.

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm no viking," Edelweiss said, pointing at herself.

"And I bet Meatlug was really nice to fly too," said Fishlegs. "She may not be the fastest, but she is the coolest."

"What makes you say that Fishlegs?" Edelweiss asked.

"She eats nothing but rocks and is completely immune to dragonroot," said Fishlegs.

"I respect your opinion Fishlegs," said Edelweiss. "But I think every dragon is the coolest. I'm guessing that because you ride Meatlug, a Gronkle, that Gronkles are your favorite dragons."

"It is," said Fishlegs. "But I have a long list of favorites, the Gronkle is high on that list."

"And because you ride Stormfly, a Nadder, that Nadders are your favorite," said Edelweiss to Astrid.

"Sure," said Astrid. "But other dragons are pretty cool too. I'm guess that because you ride Black Widow that Night Furies are your favorite."

"Yeah, they're so fast," said Edelweiss. "But like the rest of you, I love all dragons." She felt better now that she could participate in the conversation.

The night went on, and soon dawn was quickly approaching. The dragons were starting to say their good byes. Eider had to say his first, since his parents wanted to head to Draconia.

"Don't worry Eider, we'll come back on the next Winter Solstice," said Taipan. "And you have a great batch of friends to keep you company until then."

"And I'll keep myself occupied with my mission to find the place where I hatched," Eider said.

"You'll find it," said Pyrrhia. "We found it without really even trying." She nuzzled her hatchling. "We'll always be watching you my sweet." Eider nuzzled her back.

"And I can always find you in the stars," he said.

"Yes," said Pyrrhia. "You'll be just fine."

"And we really look forward to seeing you guys again," said Taipan to the others.

"Absolutely," said Avalon. The two dragon spirits spread their wings and took off. They turned back into shooting stars and vanished. The dragonets watched them go, then headed back to the other Draconians.

"Your parents are so fun," said Black Widow. "I can see why you love the so much."

"Thanks," Eider said. "Father really likes you." Black Widow purred. They joined the others as they were saying their good byes.

"Your parents gone already?" Re asked Eider.

"They want to visit Ruby and Harmony, and thank them," said Eider. Re nodded.

"So I'm curious, how did your parents come up with the name Eider?" Idriss asked.

"It's a duck," said Eider. "My parents were world travelers, and they've seen all sorts of exotic animals."

"That sounds like quite the life," said Jack.

"It was," said Eider. "They continued traveling even after I hatched. We were flying over Nessie's lake when." He paused and his face fell. "I suddenly found myself an orphan."

"So many dragons have suffered that fate," said Ahkrin. "Too many."

"We've heard that Lord Draco plans to end it," said Idriss. "And soon. Then no dragon will have to suffer that fate ever again, and no dragon will ever be caged up."

"That will be really nice," Windwalker said. Tenor looked out at the horizon, the moon was setting and the line of dawn was appearing.

"Dawn's approaching," said Pepper. "We have to head back to the stars in a bit."

"And we have to go back to our human friends," Black Widow said. "Hopefully you guys will get to meet them next time." The spirits exchanged a glance.

"Perhaps," said Idriss. "We'd love to meet that dragonborn child Lord Draco's been going on about." The sky lightened more. Shooting stars shot across the sky again, and vanished into the constellation Draco.

"I guess it's time to go," said Dura.

"We'll meet again on the Winter Solstice," Tenor said. The spirits all gathered on the edge of the cliff.

"Until next time," Jack said. With that, they all vanished into the stars.

The atmosphere grew quiet. The spirits all disappeared, then the stars also vanished. The sun came up and turned the sky pink.

"Let's go get some sleep," said Aurora. Re yawned. Black Widow looked over at Tenor.

"You okay Daddy?" She asked. Tenor smiled at her.

"I'm just fine," he said. "Did you enjoy yourself?"

"Yeah, that was really fun," said Black Widow. Then she sighed. "There's something I need to tell you, but alone." Tenor gave her a curious look.

"Let's go for a run then," he said. He turned and headed for the woods. Black Widow followed him.

"Where are you going?" Windwalker asked.

"For a run," said Tenor. "We'll meet you back at the Edge." The others took off and headed over the volcano. Tenor and Black Widow ran into woods.

They galloped through the trees and over the rocks. Black Widow went over in her head how she was going to tell him about her relationship with Edelweiss. They headed up the side of the volcano. Black Widow stayed right in Tenor's shadow. They ran all the way up to the crater and slowed to a stop. Black Widow looked down into the volcano's mouth.

"So you actually saw this thing erupt?" She asked.

"I did," Tenor said. "It was really loud and shaky. Now what is it you want to say?" Black Widow took a deep breath and sat down.

"Just please don't get mad," she said.

"I won't, I promise," Tenor said. "I'm listening."

"Okay," Black Widow said. "I've fallen in love with Edelweiss, and plan to mate with her someday." She shut her eyes, and waited for his answer.

"Why would I get mad at that?" He said. "I'm not the least bit surprised." Black Widow opened one eye. "You two have been joined at the wing since you first hatched. Also I may have spotted you two in the clearing during one of my runs." Black Widow opened both her eyes in shock.

"You knew?" She asked.

"Suspected more like," Tenor said. "I thought about confronting you earlier. But I figured you'd talk about when you were ready." Black Widow let out a breath she for got she was holding.

"You're not angry," she said, it wasn't a question.

"No, I applaud you wanting to be different," Tenor said.

"We've already told Avalon," Black Widow said. "She said she only wants family to know, so no other dragons get in a relationship like this."

"I agree, dragons don't do that," Tenor said. "But I believe humans do, sometimes." He smiled at Black Widow. "I'm glad you told me. It's your life, your choice."

"Now we have to tell the rest of the adults," Black Widow said.

"I'm pretty sure they'll have the same opinion as me," Tenor said. "Now lets go back to the Edge. You can tell the others on your own time." He nuzzled Black Widow, who did the same to him.

"Thanks for understanding Daddy," she purred. "I know it sounds weird."

"It's all right," Tenor assured her. They separated, then turned and headed down the other side of the volcano.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The riders were saddling up their dragons for their flight to Berserker Island. The dragons were restored after the night of their ancestors. They were looking forward to seeing Heather and the Berserkers again. The younger dragons weren't as excited. They weren't as well aquatinted with the Berserkers.

Chris, Serenity, and their two dragons were planning to skip this out, and go on a romantic camping trip. Since they hadn't done so in a while and Serenity wanted to introduce Chris to her Wingmaiden friends. They all agreed to meet up there when the main group was done on Berserker Island.

They all finished saddling their dragons.

"So are we going to do the same thing we did on Eruptadon Island?" Apollo asked. "Where you land and we stay in the air?"

"Yup," said Avalon. "These Berserkers may know our elders, but they don't know us."

"And I don't want a repeat of what happened on Eruptadon Island," said Black Widow. Edelweiss put her new swords into her saddle bag.

"It won't," she said. "You think we'll be able to explore the old Bewilderbeast nest?"

"If we can't we could always turn around and fly back here," said Eider.

"No, we'll just explore the rest of the island," said Avalon. "We'll stay clear of the village, where we won't get into trouble." Edelweiss mounted her dragon and they went over to the others.

"You guys ready?" Hiccup asked.

"Yes," said Avalon. She shuffled her wings. The dragons all took off and headed for Berserker Island. They broke into their respective formations. Avalon and her friends started singing their travel songs, and stayed behind the other two formations. Hiccup looked over at Re and Aurora.

"So you think you guys will come back next year?" He asked.

"I don't think so," Re said. "But we do plan on sending the young ones to Berk, all on their own." Avalon exchanged a look with her friends.

"By ourselves?" Avalon asked.

"Yeah, you're ready," said Aurora. "You'll have to rely on each other, and these guys." She gestured to the Berkians.

"I guess that has to happen if you're going to be queen," Edelweiss said to Avalon.

"Yeah, good point," said Avalon. "It might be fun."

"And if you do well up here, you'll all be crowned," Re said, smiling. This cheered up the younger dragons.

"What will you do when you're not king and queen anymore?" Astrid asked.

"I plan to build a volcanology lab," said Re. "Tenor and Windwalker plan to retire on Mt. Vulcan. Tenor plans to move is observatory out there."

"Father has a special assignment he wants me to do for him," said Aurora. "But it's classified."

"Retirement will be nice," said Re. "We might visit Berk one last time before we retire." He smiled at the idea.

They continued onward, and fell silent except for the younger dragon's singing. The vikings were able to ignore it this time. Berserker Island was soon on the horizon. The young dragons got both excited and nervous.

"Hey I have an idea," said Hiccup. "How about Avalon and her friends lead the way into the village."

"Great idea," Re agreed. Avalon looked surprised and a bit flattered. They all looked at her.

"Come one guys, we're up," Avalon said. "Lets not mess this up." She lead her group to the front and headed for the island. They spotted the village and all the Berserkers roaming about it. Edelweiss remembered to make her scales and dragon eyes vanish.

"Will Heather recognize us?" Apollo asked. "We didn't see her that much when she was on Berk."

"Lets find out," said Avalon. She let out a loud roar, to announce their arrival. Many of the Berserkers ran screaming. Some pulled out weapons and aimed them. "I guess these guys don't know who we are. Let's get out of here." They spun round and flew back the way they'd come, dodging arrows and boulders. They sped passed the other two formations.

"Well that didn't work," said Astrid. "The Berserkers don't know these guys."

"Sorry Avalon," said Hiccup. Avalon growled. "Are you guys okay?"

"We're fine," said Apollo. "It's just the first time we've ever been fired at."

"You'll get used to it," said Snotlout. "Happens to us all the time."

"We'll lead the way," said Hiccup. He steered Toothless towards the islands. The others followed him. The younger dragons hesitated before following as well. The Berserkers seemed to recognize the Night Fury and didn't fire again. The riders and dragons landed in the middle of the village. Avalon and her friends flew high over the village, out of firing rang, and circled.

Down in the village Heather came out of her hut, followed by Windshear. Heather smiled when she saw her friends.

"Hiccup, Astrid, it's so good to see you," she said. She hugged her friends. Just then one of the Berserkers ran up to Heather.

"Ma'am, strange dragons are circling the village," he said. "We fired at them to ward them off, but they came back." Heather looked up at the four circling dragons.

"They're with us," said Hiccup. "They're the kids of these guys." He gestured to the Draconians.

"Stand down," Heather said to the soldier. "They're not a threat."

"Yea ma'am," said the soldier and ran off.

"I remember those young dragons," said Heather. "Are they going to come down?"

"They're a bit shy," said Aurora. "They've never been shot at before." Heather watched the younger dragons circling.

"Why don't you get your dragons unsaddled," she said. "We'll go see if we can get them to come down." She mounted Windshear and they took off.

Avalon and her friends stayed where they were. They thought about flying back to the Edge, but fought against it. They watched the older dragons head for the stables, which had been moved after the Bewilderbeast left.

"It looks safe for them," said Eider.

"But I still don't want to go down there," said Edelweiss. "They don't know us, they might fire at us again." Just then they spotted Heather and Windshear flying towards them. They paused and hovered. Heather pulled Windshear along side them.

"Avalon, wow you guys are all grown up," said Heather.

"Hi Heather, hi Windshear," said Avalon timidly.

"Are you guys okay?" Heather asked. "That must have been really scary for you."

"We'll be okay I think," said Avalon. "It's defiantly not the welcome we were expecting. Especially after Hiccup told us about this place."

"Well you can come down now, it's safe now," said Heather. The dragons exchanged a glance.

"We actually want to see the old Bewilderbeast nest," said Apollo. "We don't do well in human villages. Bad things keep happening to us."

"Yeah, Dagur told me what happened on Eruptadon Island," said Heather. "Just come down for a little bit, then you can check out the nest. You're safe here." The dragons exchanged a glance again.

"All right," said Avalon. "For a bit." She looked around at her friends. "Stay together guys. We should be okay." They followed Heather and Windshear down towards the village.

They landed next to the stables. The riders had unsaddled their dragons. Heather dismounted and unsaddled Windshear. The Razorwhip watched Edelweiss dismount from Black Widow.

"Is that you Black Widow?" Windshear asked.

"Um, yes," said Black Widow.

"Last time I saw you, you were a small dragonet," said Windshear. "You're so big now." Black Widow looked down at herself.

"Yes, I am," she said. "We were all small dragonets." They headed into the stables. The other dragons were relaxing and their riders were giving them rubdowns.

"You guys feeling better?" Aurora asked, worried. "You're shaking."

"We're okay Mother," said Avalon. "Just a bit in shock." She suddenly spotted something moving out of the corner of her eye. She jumped and growled.

"It's just me Avalon," said Heather. Avalon quieted down. "Wow, you guys are really nervous."

"They're young and they're wild," said Hiccup. "They'll calm down after a while." He pulled some dragonnip out of his pocket and held it out to Avalon. She nibbled it and it calmed her mind. The others relaxed as well. "Let's show them around the place." They all agreed and walked out of the stables. Hiccup stayed next to Avalon and Edelweiss stayed beside Black Widow. The young dragons felt safer.

Heather showed them around her village. It had grown since the last time the riders had come. The Berserkers greeted them. Then they all started talking about the epic battle that took place on the island, and how they saved the King of Dragon's egg. Avalon and her friends lost interest.

"Speaking of the Bewilderbeast, can we go find his nest now?" Avalon asked. "I don't like this battle talk."

"Sure," said Heather. "Just be careful in there. It's really deep and really slippery." Avalon smiled. Edelweiss mounted Black Widow.

"And technically it's her nest," said Fishlegs. "That Beweilderbeast was female." The younger dragons looked confused.

"But you called it the King of Dragons," said Apollo.

"That was before we saw the egg," said Astrid. "King of Dragons was just a title."

"Oh, okay," said Apollo. He and his friends spread their wings and took off.

They flew over the island. They searched for a cave opening. They didn't say anything and kept their eyes open. They soon spotted a large cave and flew down to it. They walked up to it and looked inside. It was pretty dark and not big enough for all of them to fly through.

"Black Widow, how about you take the lead for this," said Avalon. Black Widow smiled and went to the front of the group.

"Hey a thought just occurred to me," said Eider. "Can we each get a turn having Edelweiss on our back. It's only fair."

"I never thought I'd hear a dragon beg for a rider," said Edelweiss. "Usually they're begging for the rider to get off."

"Well, we're different," said Apollo. "I think that's a great idea. What do you think Edel?" Edelweiss exchanged a look with Black Widow.

"As long as I get to ride Black Widow if we ever have to go into battle," Edelweiss said. The other dragons nodded in unison. She dismounted Black Widow and mounted Eider. They turned back to the cave. Black Widow lead the way inside, using her sonar.

They walked through the cave. Black Widow kept using her sonar, keeping them from running into anything. The sound also helped keep them from getting separated. They soon lost sight of the entrance. They couldn't see the end however.

"Well, we're defiantly getting close," said Edelweiss. "It's getting colder." The others noticed it too. But they kept walking. Soon they came out into a massive ice cave. Sunlight leaked through the translucent ice.

"Wow, this place is cool," said Eider. They walked farther into the ice caves. There were deep crevasses and enormous ice pillars. They soon found the heart of the ice caves, which had no visible floor, opposite wall, or ceiling.

"This must be where the Bewilderbeast lived," said Edelweiss. She then spotted, frozen humans that were stuck in ice. "Look." They looked and saw the frozen soldiers. "I guess she knew how to deal with intruders."

"Yeah, it's a bit different from what Toothless does," said Avalon.

"Well, he doesn't have ice breath," said Apollo. "Hey I wonder if that Johann guy's still here." He looked around and walked off. The others followed him and they searched again. They found more frozen humans but non of them matched Johann's description.

"Maybe Hiccup or Toothless can find him," Eider said. "They were there."

"Are you guys talking about me?" Said someone behind them. They turned on saw Toothless coming through the tunnel.

"Draco's flame Toothless, we didn't even hear you coming," said Avalon.

"I am a Night Fury after all," Toothless said. "I volunteered to come check on you guys, since I can find my way in the dark. So you guys haven't fallen into the big hole?"

"Nope," said Avalon. She glanced around the cave. "So you actually saw the Bewilderbeast summon a massive dragon army?"

"I did," Toothless said, proudly. "It was a sight to behold."

"Yeah I bet," said Apollo. Toothless saw the far away looks on all their faces, as though they were trying to imagine it. He smiled.

"Don't you worry my young friends," he said. "There's still some battles yet to come."

"The Age of Dragons will end very soon," said Avalon. "I'd imagine that our first battle might also be our last one."

"Let's hope so," Toothless said. "Battle may start out fun and exciting, but it can turn bad really quick." He looked sad. "If you ever have to watch a friend die, you'll never be the same again." Edelweiss dismounted Eider and hugged the older dragon.

"No matter what you were forced to do in the past," she said. "I still think you're the cutest alpha ever." Toothless purred and nuzzle her.

"Well, thank you," he said. "I'm glad you think so." Edelweiss let go of him, and kissed his nose. "So do you think you guys are finished here?" The young dragons looked around.

"Yeah I think so," said Avalon. "We can head out." Toothless boosted Edelweiss onto his back.

"Whoa, you sure Hiccup won't mind?" She asked.

"No," said Toothless. "You called me cute, and anyone who calls me cute gets a free ride." He winked. Edelweiss giggled and scratched his ears. Then Toothless and Avalon lead the group out of the ice caves.

They walked silently through the tunnel. Toothless walked right beside Avalon. He watched her out of the corner of his eye. His mind went back to when he first met her and Apollo. They were just a day out of the egg and small enough to fit in his mouth. Now they were almost full grown, and Avalon would be queen one day. She was already good at looking after her friends. Avalon must have hear his thoughts.

"Thanks for sticking your neck out for us all these years," she said.

"You're welcome," Toothless said. "I'm really fond of you guys. And you're going to be queen soon Avalon."

"Yup I'm really excited for that," Avalon said. "So we'll be equals." Toothless nodded. "That will be fun."

"It sure will, and you're going to make a great queen Avalon," he said. Avalon blushed.

"Thanks," she said bashfully.

"I think it's so cool that you're an alpha Toothless," said Edelweiss, patting his head. "Makes knowing you a great honor." Toothless purred again. He picked up the pace and they headed for the exit.

Once outside they took off and headed for the village. Edelweiss controlled Toothless's fin. They reached the village and landed next to the Berserker's great hall. They went inside where Heather and the others were having lunch. The adult Draconians weren't present, presumably out hunting. The riders looked up when Toothless and the younger Draconians approached them.

"I see you guys didn't fall into a crevasse," said Heather.

"Nope, we got out of there before that happened," said Avalon.

"Toothless seemed to think you would," said Astrid. "And offered to go check on you. But we didn't think that was necessary."

"Well, he and Avalon will be equals when she's queen," said Edelweiss. "He figured they'd start acting like it." Toothless and Avalon both smiled.

"That makes sense," said Hiccup. "They're not hatchlings anymore."

"So, does that mean they'll be king and queen together?" Fishelgs asked. Avalon and Toothless gave each other a bashful look, both blushing.

"It's a nice thought," said Avalon. "But we still live several miles apart. And he already said he doesn't want to be on my team." She looked a bit crestfallen. Edelweiss patted Toothless on the neck. She then got off his back and got on Avalon.

"So what do you guys have planned for the rest of the day?" She asked.

"Heather and I plan to go flying later," said Astrid. "Then practice our ax throwing."

"You can come if you want," said Heather.

"No thanks, except for riding dragons I have nothing in common with you," Edelweiss said.

"Let's go check out the rest of the village," Avalon suggested. They all agreed. "We'll see you guys later." They turned around and left the great hall.

They wandered around the village, comparing it to the other places they'd been. The Berserkers paid them no mind. They didn't talk much and just took in the world around them. They didn't notice that Toothless was watching them from a hill. He supposed it wasn't a horrible idea making Avalon his queen and joining her group. But he knew she had her eye on Eider. Toothless still had a soft spot for the young dragons, and Edelweiss. He watched them pause in the plaza. Edelweiss mounted Black Widow and they flew off. Toothless turned and headed for the stables.

The young dragons flew over the island. They sang a few songs and did acrobats. It helped pass the time until their parents returned from hunting. They all gathered in the great hall again. The younger dragons were the last to arrive.

"Hey young ones," said Re.

"How was your hunt?" Avalon asked, nuzzling his neck.

"We didn't find much," said Aurora. "But there will be a school of fish big enough to feed all of us. We can go for a family hunt."

"Cool, when?" Apollo asked.

"Tomorrow afternoon," said Avalon. "Edelweiss will have to stay behind of course."

"We'll keep her occupied," Heather promised. "There's plenty to do here."

"Thanks, we'd appreciate that," said Aurora. "It'll be quite a flight and we won't be back until late." Edelweiss was used to her whole family going out to sea, it was one of the things that came with living in a dragon's world. She had learned to accept it over the years.

"Just so you guys know," Aurora said. "We plan to head home in about two weeks." The young dragons became alert at this.

"Home?" Avalon said. "Already?"

"Yes," said Re. "Hiccup and Toothless have a village to run, and we have a nation to run."

"That makes sense," said Avalon. "And it will be nice to get home." She smiled at the idea. "And we can come back next year."

"Yup, though it will be just you guys," said Aurora. The young dragons looked at each other. They were starting to feel excited now.

"In that case, we're going to need some new armor," said Avalon.

"And I'll need a new outfit," said Edelweiss.

"Come on guys lets go brainstorm," said Avalon. They turned and left the great hall. The adults watched them leave.

"They're excited," said Astrid.

"They should be," said Aurora. "Next year will be epic."

"Why what happens next year?" Hiccup asked.

"You'll see," said Aurora. "I don't want to spoil anything." She smiled warmly. She and Re joined the riders around the tables.

Outside Avalon and her friends gathered on a cliff to watch the sun go down and to brainstorm. They had found pencil and papers to draw on. Edelweiss did most of the drawing, since she had the smallest hands. They came up with armor designs for the dragons and a new outfit for Edelweiss. Apollo also brainstormed ideas for items he could enchant that would be helpful. They really enjoyed themselves. They worked until they ran out of light, then they all went to sleep.

The next morning they woke up and looked over their designs once again. They made final drawings of each one, complete with insignias and colors. They then called a Hermes Dragon and sent the designs home.

"You think Steel can can pull those off?" Apollo asked. "They're pretty detailed."

"She can do it," said Avalon. "She loves a challenge." They got to their feet and headed for the village.

"You going to be okay without us tonight?" Apollo asked Edelweiss.

"I'll be okay," said Edel. "I can always go crying to Toothless or one of his friends if something goes wrong." She chuckled.

"How about we go for a solo flight before we all leave?" Black Widow suggested. "Just the two of us." Edelweiss smiled.

"Is that okay with the rest of you," she said.

"That's fine," said Avalon. "Maybe you can meet up with Heather and Astrid. I don't they care that you have nothing in common with them."

"All right," said Black Widow. Edelweiss mounted her and they took off. The others went to find dragon brush.

Edelweiss and Black Widow soared over the island. They did several high speed maneuvers, that would be useful in battle. They sped through the trees and sea stacks. They did tight spins and fast inversions. Edelweiss also practiced using her new switchblade swords while flying. She sliced any tree branch within reach, and got better each time. Once they ran out of battle moves, Edelweiss put her swords away and they flew strait.

They were flying over the stables when Edelweiss spotted Heather and Astrid outside brushing their dragons. They were talking and giggling. Edelweiss pulled Black Widow to a stop.

"How about a bath Black Widow?" She suggested.

"That sounds nice," said Black Widow. They turned and headed for the stables. Black Widow landed next to the other two dragons and Edelweiss dismounted. She unsaddled her dragon and headed into the stables. She found a brush and a bucket, then went out to the well. She got water out of the well and headed back to Black Widow. She got to work washing her dragon. She sang while she worked. Black Widow shuddered with pleasure.

"Hey Edelweiss," said Astrid, looking up from the conversation. "We saw you flying earlier."

"Yeah, that was pretty good," said Heather. "You two work so well together." Edelweiss blushed as she scrubbed behind Black Widow's ears. The dragon purred.

"Thanks," Edelweiss said. "It was pretty fun."

"I wonder how well you work without your dragon though," said Heather. Edelweiss stopped what she was doing.

"You're not going to take my dragon are you?" She asked. Black Widow's ears perked up and growled.

"No we're not," Astrid assured her. "We meant while she's out hunting." They both relaxed. Edelweiss went back to scrubbing.

"As long as I don't spend my whole evening sparring," she said.

"No, just one round with each of us," said Astrid. "Just to see how well you do." Edelweiss shrugged and scrubbed her dragon's tail. Heather went up to Black Widow and stroked her snout, admiring her.

"Wow, she really got big," she said. "I get the feeling she'll be great in battle." She lifted Black Widow's lip and looked at her black teeth. "Especially with these teeth."

"Careful with those," said Edelweiss. "They'll kill you in a second." Heather let go of the dragon's lip. Black Widow flexed her jaw and pulled her teeth into her gums. Edelweiss began scrubbing Black Widow's wings.

"She's really beautiful," Heather said, stroking the red hourglass on Black Widow's forehead. Edelweiss paused in her task and hugged her dragon's neck.

"She is," she said happily. "No dragon can replace her." Black Widow purred and fluttered her wings. Edelweiss kissed her cheek and went back to brushing. Heather and Astrid went back to their own dragons.

"So how did you get the name Edelweiss?" Heather asked. "I've never heard that word before."

"It's German," said Edelweiss. "I means noble and white. It's the name of a flower. A small, white flower that grows at very high altitudes. The people there see the edelweiss flower as a symbol of nobility, courage, and dedication."

"Wow, have you seen it?" Heather asked.

"Yes," said Edelweiss. "My mother grows it in her flower garden. It has very fuzzy peddles. Here I'll show you." She finished washing her dragon, then took everything back into the stables. She came back with her saddle and reins. She put the saddle on Black Widow's back.

"That's what it looks like," she said, pointing to the white flower etched into the black leather of the saddle. Heather looked at it.

"Wow, it's really beautiful," she said.

"Yup," said Black Widow. "White and pure on the outside, with a heart of gold. Just like our flower." She nuzzled Edelweiss, who blushed and giggled.

"There's also a song that goes with it," she said, as she secured the saddle. "But I don't remember all the words."

"She always blushes whenever we sing it," said Black Widow, amused.

"So, you don't like the song?" Heather asked.

"No I love the song," said Edelweiss. "My parents would sing it to me every night. But I to get a bit embarrassed when someone sings it just to draw a lot of attention to me." She finished saddling her dragon, then mounted up.

"See you at the arena later?" Astrid asked.

"Yeah, I'll be there," said Edelweiss. She turned Black Widow around and they flew away.

They flew over the island again, looking for their friends. They saw the other riders and their dragons, but no sign of Avalon. They flew down and hovered over the riders.

"Have you guys seen Avalon and the others?" Black Widow asked.

"No," said Hiccup. Edelweiss steered Black Widow away. They searched the other side of the island and there they found their friends playing in the shallow water. Black Widow flew down and landed in the water next to them.

"Here you guys are, we were looking for you," said Edelweiss.

"Well you found us," said Apollo. "Hey take a look at this thing I just enchanted." He ran out of the water and onto the rocks. The others followed him. He sat on his haunches and pulled a bowel out of his vest. He then pulled out four berries and put them in the bowel. He held the bowel in both front talons. "Twice as much please." He said clearly and suddenly there were eight berries in the bowel.

"Cool," said Black Widow. "We'll never run out of food this way."

"Yeah," said Apollo. He passed out the berries and they all ate them. When the bowel was empty, he put it away. "I still plan to enchant something for each of you, to give you the option of disguising yourself as humans. Except for Edel of course."

"I am kind of curious to see what you guys look like as humans," Edelweiss said. "That will be pretty interesting." Eider rolled his eyes.

"I don't mean to make any of you uncomfortable," said Apollo, timidly.

"We're not uncomfortable," said Eider. "We'll accept this, but we probably won't use it too much. Lets go back to swimming."

"Good idea," said Avalon. They jumped off the rocks and back into the water.

They spent the rest of the morning playing in the water. Edelweiss would jump from on dragon to another, in a sort of leap frog fashion. Once she slipped and fell in the water, but got back up again. They made a game out of it and sent water flying everywhere. The time passed and soon Re and Aurora were circling over them, saying it was time head out to sea. They all flew back to the village where Edelweiss took their saddles off.

"We'll be back either late tonight, or early tomorrow," said Aurora. "Either way don't wait up for us."

"I won't, as long as you promise to wake my up when you get back," said Edelweiss. The dragons nodded. Edelweiss kissed Black Widow on the cheek, then she watched them take off and fly away. When they were gone, she headed for the arena with her swords.

She arrived and saw Windshear and Stormfly waiting for her with both their riders. She smiled as she approached them.

"Hi guys," she said, stroking Windshear's nose.

"Your friends leave?" Stormfly asked.

"Yup," said Edelweiss. "You're all stuck with me for the night." Stormfly nudged her playfully.

"That's fine with me," she said.

"Me too," said Windshear. Edelweiss patted them both then went over to Heather and Astrid.

"You get along really well with dragons," said Heather.

"Too well I think," said Edelweiss, pulling out her switchblade swords. She popped out the blades.

"Nice swords," said Heather.

"Thanks, my dad got them for me," said Edelweiss.

"Lets how they hold up against this," said Heather boldly. She swung out her switchblade axe, and twirled it. Edelweiss watched, but didn't look too impressed. Heather twirled her axe into the air, caught it, and went into a fighting stance. Edelweiss tilted her head.

"Were you in a circus?" She asked, looking amused.

"No," said Heather. "I always do that. It's a form of intimidation."

"Oh," said Edelweiss. She readied her swords and went into a fighting stance as well. Astrid went to stand beside the two dragons.

"You don't have your dragons to protect you this time," said Heather, sneering.

"I'm not a baby," said Edelweiss, looking bored. Heather rushed at her, and she was ready.

They clashed blades. Heather was a tough opponent. But Edelweiss was smaller and quicker than her. She blocked every strike with her swords. Then she worked out how to take her opponent down. Suddenly Heather knocked her to the ground and kicked her swords away. She then aimed the blade of her axe at Edelweiss's throat.

"Looks like I win," Heather said.

"Look again," Edelweiss sneered. Acting quick, she punched Heather's left foot. Heather lost all feeling in her foot and it made her loose her balance. She tried to steady herself, but it loosened her grip on the axe. Edelweiss snatched it and knocked Heather over. She then got to her feet. Heather knew she was beat.

"Where did you learn that?" She asked.

"My dad taught me that," said Edelweiss. "It works on both humans and dragons." She folded up the axe and handed it back to Heather. "You'll be able to walk again in half an hour." She helped Heather to her feet and walk over to Windshear.

She then sparred against Astrid next. She was a pretty tough opponent too. She would get worked up into a rage and come at Edelweiss with full force. Edelweiss was just barely able to stand her ground. Astrid was more familiar with the fighting moves Chris had taught her. The fight lasted longer then the fight with Heather. Edelweiss was starting to get bored, but she didn't let up. Suddenly Astrid used her axe to trip Edelwiess, who landed on her front. Astrid planted her foot on Edel's back, keeping her from turning over or crawling away.

"You're better than Hiccup," Astrid said. "But not me." Edelweiss shrugged. Astrid got off her and let her get up. Edelweiss picked up her swords and folded up their blades.

"Thanks for sparring with us," said Heather. "You are good."

"No problem," said Edelweiss. Astrid went over to sit beside Heather and the two dragons.

"What are you going to do for the rest of the day?" Heather asked her.

"I don't know, I'll find something," said Edelweiss. She went over to join them. She noticed that they were both out of breath. Just then Hiccup and Toothless walked into the arena.

"What's going on in here?" Hiccup asked.

"Just training," said Astrid. "Edelweiss has been giving us quite a workout."

"She beat both of you?" Hiccup asked, looking amused.

"No, she just beat me," said Heather, rubbing her foot. "Then Astrid beat her."

"But it took a lot to do it," said Astrid. Toothless nudged Edelweiss and she hugged his head.

"Shame I missed it," Toothless said.

"You didn't miss much," Edelweiss said. "I was even starting to get bored." She let got of his head, and leaned against him with a sigh. "I don't have anything to do for the rest of the day."

"You can help around the village," Heather suggested. "There's plenty to do." Edelweiss considered.

"I suppose," she said. "I'll help for a while, then go for a walk." She stood up and headed out of the arena.

She did small things around the village; such as chop wood and sharpen weapons. She hung out with the remaining dragons in between tasks. When she was finished she went to find Hiccup. She found him and the other riders in the great hall.

"I finished with the wood," she said.

"Thanks Edelweiss," said Heather.

"I'm going to go for my walk," said Edelweiss. "I'll see you all later." She turned and left the great hall.

She walked out of the village and into the woods. She kept the shoreline in her sight so she didn't get lost. She soon lost sight of the village. She sang to herself as she walked. Edelweiss walked around a large cove, failing to see the small hunting ship that was hiding in the shadow of a sea stack. She walked into the woods again. She had just reached the far side of island, when she heard someone approaching her from behind. She turned and saw that it was only Toothless.

"What are you going out here?" She asked him. "Shouldn't you be with Hiccup?" Toothless walked up to her.

"Well you were looking pretty lonely," he said. "Hiccup has Astrid and all his other friends. All your friends are out fishing. I mean if you want me to go, I'll go."

"No, you can stay," said Edelweiss. "Will Hiccup mind?"

"No we're all family here," Toothless said. "I'm just keeping an eye on you until Black Widow and the others come back. No harm done." Edelweiss smiled and stroked his muzzle.

"All right," she said. "I'm walking around the whole island."

"You want a ride?" Toothless asked.

"No thanks," said Edelweiss. "I'm fine just walking. Dragons weren't made just to be ridden, not even you." Toothless smiled. They continued walking.

"I'm pretty sure I was meant to be ridden," Toothless said. "Why else would Lord Draco allow my tail fin to get cut off?" Edelweiss patted his head.

"So humans and dragons could learn a little more about each other," she said. Toothless considered.

"I don't think it's working as well as he wanted," he said. "Dragons are still being hunted and killed."

"That's going to end, one way or another," said Edelweiss.

"Yeah," agreed Toothless. He looked out at the sea. The sun was starting to go down. The water was very still. "You sure you don't want to ride? It'll start to get dark soon."

"What are you so worried about?" Edelweiss asked. "You're a Night Fury."

"True, but it's not me I'm worried about," Toothless said. "Your grandparents don't want you waiting up for them."

"It's not even sunset yet," said Edelweiss. "But if the sun sets and we're still not at the village then I'll accept a ride."

"Fair enough," said Toothless. They kept walking.

The sun went lower and the sky grew darker. Neither of them talked for a while. They made their way around the cliffs and trees. Suddenly Toothless paused and became alert.

"What's wrong?" Edelweiss asked him.

"I get the feeling we're being watched," Toothless growled. "We need to get back to the village, now." He boosted Edelweiss onto his back and took off. Edelweiss quickly put her foot in the stirrup and open the tail. Toothless managed to stay in the air. His sharp eyes on the forest below. Suddenly a bola was shot towards them. Toothless dodged it, Edelweiss hung on.

"What was that?" She asked.

"We've been targeted," Toothless said. "Hang on tight." He took off again. Another bola was fired at them. Toothless dodged it, but didn't see the arrow coming at him. It stabbed him in his hind leg, and he roared in pain. He tried to ignore the pain and keep flying. But it was soon apparent it had dragonroot on it. It shot through his veins like Changewing acid.

"Toothless! Are you okay?" Edelweiss asked.

"Hang on, we're going down," Toothless said, his voice was strained like he was in pain. Edelweiss hung onto the saddle as Toothless streaked towards the ground, writhing in pain. Edelweiss controlled his tail and steered him away from any boulders. They hit the ground hard, but Edelweiss managed to say in the saddle. She got off and examined Toothless. The arrow was stuck deep into his side. Toothless was breathing, but it sounded labored. Edelweiss knew that pulling the arrow out would cause him to bleed out. She leaned over his head.

"Can you get up?" She asked him. "We can walk you back to Hiccup."

"My whole body's gone numb," Toothless moaned. "That arrow has dragonroot on it. Walking's kind of hard."

"Dragonroot! Who was shooting at us?" Edelweiss asked. Toothless took a deep breath.

"Could be anyone," he said. "Being a Night Fury and an alpha both have the same advantage, everyone wants to take me down."

"They're going to find us any minuet," Edelweiss said, trying to push him to his feet. "We should get you back to Hiccup." Toothless rolled onto his front. "Don't worry, I'm a Dragonborn I'm stronger than I look." She put all her strength and managed to hoist Toothless up. He couldn't hold himself up though, she let him lean on her. "I may not be my mother, but I've learned a lot from her."

"It's okay, I've survived this before," said Toothless. He stopped. "I need to sit down. It hurts to walk with this arrow." Edelweiss carefully set him down.

"I'll see if I can take it out," she said. She looked into Toothless's saddlebags for a cloth. She found one of his spare tail fins. She pulled it out and knelt beside Toothless's wounded leg. She wrapped the tail fin around his leg, just under the arrow and tied tight. With one hand she held his leg down and with the other she gripped the arrow. Toothless roared in pain when the arrow was touched. "I'm sorry, I know it hurts. But if you can hold still for three seconds I can get it out." Toothless gritted his teeth. Edelweiss got a good grip on the arrow, and pulled it out. Pain shot through Toothless's veins again and he roared. Edelweiss quickly pulled the tail fin over the wound and tied it tighter. Toothless relaxed a bit as his whole body went numb again.

"That's the best I can do," Edelweiss said. She patted his side.

"Thanks," Toothless said. "It feels a bit better."

"You think you can try walking again?" Edelweiss asked. Toothless took a deep breath.

"If you'll help me," he sighed. Edelweiss got up and pulled Toothless to his feet. He leaned on her. They were just about to get walking again, when Edelweiss suddenly felt something hard hit her in the back of the head and she blacked out.

When she woke up again, she was somewhere dark. She felt that she was sitting down and her hands were tied up. She also felt something large and heavy in her lap. She felt around with her hands in the dark. The thing in her lap was warm, and scaly.

"Toothless?" She asked.

"Yes, I'm here," Toothless said. His voice sounded muffled, like he was talking through his teeth.

"Where are we?" Edelweiss asked.

"On a boat," Toothless said. "In a very small cage. I don't know who's boat though. I was passed out from the dragonroot. I've slept most of it off."

"So you're feeling better?" Edelweiss asked.

"Yes," said Toothless. "How are you?" Edelweiss considered.

"I'm okay I think," she said. "It's really dark in here."

"Hang on a second," Toothless said. He activated his titan wing and made his spines glow. Blue light flooded the space, Edelweiss blinked at the sudden light. When her eyes adjusted she saw that they were in the belly of a ship. She was at the back of a small, dragonproof cage. Toothless was squeezed in front of her and curled in her lap. Most of the cage was taken up by his enormous wings. His saddle and tail fin had been removed, and his head was wrapped in a leather muzzle. Edelweiss saw that her hands were wrapped in thick ropes.

"Where's your saddle and tail fin?" She asked.

"They took them off and threw them into the ocean," said Toothless. "You think you can get this muzzle off?" Edelweiss yanked her hands apart, and the rope broke. She then pulled the muzzle off Toothless's head. He shook his head and flexed his jaw. "Thanks." He laid his head back down.

"How are we going to get out of here?" Edelweiss asked. Toothless hear the fear in her voice. He nuzzled her.

"Don't you worry," he said. "We will get out of here. Whether someone comes for us or we fight our way out." Suddenly there came the bleat of a sheep. They both followed the sound and spotted an old sheep in the opposite side of the room. It bleated again in irritation. Looking at it made Edelweiss's skin crawl. Toothless growled.

"Fungus," he said darkly. "I know who our captor is now."

"Who?" Edelweiss asked.

"Old man, Mildew," said Toothless. "He used to live on Berk, until the Outcasts won him over. He's very anti dragon. But good news is, escape won't be too hard. We just have to get out of his cage." Just then the hatch opened and two vikings came down the stairs. One was old, and the other one was older. The old one had black hair and carried a large bone club, the older one had long, greasy, white hair, carried a staff, and smelled of rotten cabbages.

"Mildew and Savage," Toothless growled.

"Look what we caught," Savage boasted. "The Night Fury. We know of a few dragon hunters who would pay a great price for him."

"What are we going to do with the girl?" Mildew asked, eyeing Edelweiss. Savage looked at her too. Toothless growled.

"How'd you get out of those bonds girl?" Savage asked, seeing that Edelweiss's hands were no longer bound.

"None of your business," Edelweiss snapped. Savage glared and smacked her in the head with his bone club, knocking her out. Toothless roared but couldn't do much in the tight cage. Savage put him back in the muzzle, while Mildew put Edelweiss back into her bonds.

"We'll sell the dragon," Savage growled. "Then move on and sell the girl, she'll fetch a nice price too." Toothless looked at Edelweiss, who was still out. The two vikings left, discussing what they'd sell Edelweiss for. When they'd gone back up Toothless tried to wake up his cellmate. She didn't move, which worried him. She now had two nasty bumps on her head. He gave up for the moment, and decided to try again later. He laid his head down and Edelweiss slumped forward, resting her head on his neck.

Back at the Berserker village, the sun had set. The riders were eating dinner in the great hall. They were expecting the Draconians to return soon.

"Hey shouldn't Edelweiss be back by now?" Astrid asked. "It's passed dark."

"Maybe she got lost," said Heather.

"I think Toothless went to find her," said Hiccup. "So they should be back by now."

"We should go look for them," said Fishlegs. "It's been too long."

"Good plan Fishlegs," said Hiccup. "Eret, we'll need Skullcrusher's help."

"I'll get him ready at once," said Eret, saluting. They all left the great hall and headed for the stables.

They woke their dragons and saddled them up. Hiccup found Edelweiss's saddle and set it in front of Skullcrusher. The Rumblehorn sniffed the seat, and picked up Edelweiss's sent. He roared and tossed his head.

"He's ready to go," said Eret, mounting the dragon. Hiccup got on behind him. The other riders mounted their dragons and headed out into the night.

Skullcrusher lead them around the island to the side. He landed on the cliffs where the sent was strongest. He followed it from the cliffs and into the trees. He picked up the sent of a dragon, which he guessed was Toothless. The two trails led him into a clearing. He was suddenly hit with the smell of dragonroot. He roared in alert and tossed his head back.

"Whoa Skullcrusher," said Eret, startled. "What did you find boy?" He and Hiccup got off and searched the clearing. The other dragons and riders joined in the search. Astrid jumped off Stormfly. She walked forward and suddenly stepped on something sharp. She looked to see what she'd stepped on. It was an arrow, a bloodstained arrow.

"Hiccup, you should see this," said Astrid. The other riders went over to her and she held out the arrow. "I think someone took both of them." Hiccup took the arrow and studied it. It was covered in dragon's blood, and something green.

"Dragonroot," he said, worried. "They've been taken by dragon hunters. We have to get them back."

"I'll round up the armada," said Heather.

"That'll take too much time," said Hiccup. "And we can't wait or look for the Draconians. The sooner we leave, the sooner we find them. We need to go now." The riders all got on their dragons, Hiccup got on Skullcrusher behind Eret. Eret put the bloodstained arrow in front of Skullcrusher's nose. He sniffed it and picked up Toothless's sent. He beamed and took off. The other dragons followed him.

The hunting ship sailed farther away from Berserker Island. It wove between the sea stacks. Dragons flew well away from it. Among those dragons were Re, Aurora, and the dragonets. They were heading back from their fishing trip, all fueled up. Re spotted the ship.

"Hunting ship," he said, alerting them. "Lets pick up the pace." They flew faster, and went unnoticed by the ship. They continued onward towards Berserker Island.

They soon spotted the riders and their dragons heading in their direction. They seemed very worried. Re pulled his group around and along side them.

"Re, thank Thor you're here," said Fishlegs, sounding relieved. "Edelweiss and Toothless have been captured by hunters." The Draconians instantly looked worried.

"Edel?" Avalon said, her voice full of dread. Black Widow panicked and took off.

"We're coming Edel," she cried. She streaked passed the other dragons. Avalon flew after her and managed to blocked her.

"Stop Black Widow, calm down," she said. "We'll get her back, but we can do it better without panicking." Black Widow paused, still looking panicked. The other young dragons joined them.

"I'm sure she's fine," said Eider. "She has old Toothless with her. He's been captured more times then the rest of these dragons."

"That's true," said Black Widow. She looked down in consideration. Her sharp eyes spotted something red down in the water. Hopeful, she dove down towards it. She picked it in her talons and flew it back to the group. She handed it to Hiccup. It turned out to be Toothless's saddle and tail fin.

"Good eye Black Widow," said Hiccup. "The hunters must have taken this off Toothless so he can't escape. Lets keep going." They sped up and flew a bit lower to the water.

"So what are we looking for?" Avalon asked. "An island with a hunter camp on it?"

"We're looking for a ship," said Astrid.

"A ship?" Apollo said. "We saw a ship earlier."

"Where?" Hiccup asked.

"This way," said Aurora. She took the lead and headed back to where they saw the ship.

Toothless laid quietly in the cage. He'd deactivated his titan wing, and they were back in the dark. He looked at Edelweiss who was still unconscious. He nudged her and nibbled her cheek.

"Edel wake up," he said through the muzzle. Edelweiss did not respond. Just then Mildew and Savage came back down. Savage carried a lantern. They looked down at their prisoners. Toothless glared back.

"Don't try anything," said Savage. "This cage is dragonproof, not even you can break out." Toothless would not accept this. He activated his titan wing again, filling the room with a blinding blue light. He pressed his wings against the bars of the cage, summoning all his strength. The bars broke and the cage exploded. It knocked out Savage and Mildew. Toothless then clawed off the muzzle, and blasted it to bits. He dimmed down his glowing spines. Then he turned back to Edelweiss. She was still knocked out. He nudged her and licked her face. His cold tongue was enough to rouse her. She stirred and opened her eyes.

"Hey, are you all right?" Toothless asked.

"I think so," said Edelweiss. "What happened?"

"I made the cage explode with my titan wing," Toothless said. "I got us out." Edelweiss looked surprised.

"Is that how you broke Hiccup out of the ice?" She asked. "When you fought the Bewilderbeast?"

"Yes," said Toothless. "Can you sit up?" Edelweiss took a deep breath and tried to sit up, but it made her head spin.

"Ow, my head hurts," she moaned. She laid back down. Toothless licked the bumps on her forehead. She laughed.

"Does that feel better?" He asked.

"Yes, thank you," Edelweiss said. She petted his snout. "Hiccup's so lucky to have a friend like you." Toothless smiled and licked her hand.

"Lets get you up," he said. He lowered his head and Edelweiss held onto it. He helped her to her feet. She ignored the pain in her head. She leaned on Toothless until her head stopped spinning.

"How's your leg?" She asked.

"It hurts," Toothless said. "But I can limp on it. Lets go up top." He turned and limped towards the stairs. Edelweiss followed him and they went to the top deck.

The sun was starting to come up. When the two of them came out they found deck covered in sleeping dragon hunters. Edelweiss stepped closer to Toothless.

"Don't worry," Toothless said. "They're drunk, I can smell it. They'll be out for a while."

"I should look at that leg," Edelweiss said. "Make sure it's healing." Toothless laid down and she examined his wound. She carefully lifted the edge of the tail fin. The wound had stopped bleeding, but started looked infected. Edelweiss took the tail fin off and scrunched it up.

"I need to borrow your mouth," she said. Toothless opened his mouth without question. Edelweiss soaked the cloth in his special saliva. Then she went back to his leg and cleaned the wound. Then she rewrapped the tail fin around his leg, tying it tight. "There that should help."

"Thank you," Toothless said. "I think you will be as good as your mother." Edelweiss blushed. "I was one the first dragons she healed when she first came to Berk."

"Yes she told me about that," Edelweiss said, sitting next to him. "She said she landed on Berk only to resupply. But she got invited to stay when she helped you and the other dragons get better."

"Yes," Toothless said. Edelweiss sighed and stroked his snout again. The glowing scales on his forehead felt warmer than the rest of his scales.

"You look so cool when you glow," she said.

"No, you should have seen me when I ate Flightmare algae," Toothless scoffed modestly. "I was shinning like the aurora borealis." Edelweiss laughed.

"Wow," she said. She looked out at the lightening sky. "How are we going to get off this boat?"

"Well, flying's out," Toothless said.

"Maybe we can swim," Edelweiss suggested.

"In what direction?" Toothless pointed out. Edelweiss's face fell and the blush in her cheeks faded. She curled up and hugged her knees.

"I want to go home," she said in a quiet voice. "I want my friends back." Toothless nuzzled her.

"You'll get home," he said. "I promise." Suddenly Savage and Mildew came storming up the steps. Toothless and Edelweiss jumped to their feet. Edelweiss grabbed the closest weapon, which was a long sword. Toothless growled and went into a crouch.

"Don't think you're getting away that easily," Savage spat.

"You're still stuck on the boat," said Mildew. Savage began kicking the other hunters awake. They got up and closed in on their prisoners.

"Grab that girl," said Savage. Edelweiss made her scales and dragon eyes reappear. The hunters charged at them. Edelweiss and Toothless fought against them. Edelweiss used her dragonborn strength to her advantage. She managed to knock out several hunters, and Toothless knocked out several more. They covered each other's backs. But Toothless soon ran out of shots and the hunters got a net over him, and put a sack over his head so he couldn't see. Edelweiss was about to go to his aid, when Savage grabbed her from behind and ripped the sword from her hand. He was quick to notice her patches of scales.

"What are you, creature?" He growled. He spun her around and glared at her. She glared back. Mildew came up behind Savage.

"Dragon eyes!?" He roared. "And scales. She must be cursed. She could doom us all, throw her over." Savage growled and grabbed Edelweiss by the throat while Mildew tied a chain around her legs. Suddenly there came a roar from above. Everyone looked up to see a squadron of dragons and riders flying towards them. Edelweiss smiled when she recognized her friends.

"Shoot them down," Savage ordered. "But don't let that Night Fury go." The hunters picked their bows and arrows, and fired them at the dragons. The dragons dodge them and fired back. Black Widow flew right at Savage. He saw this, and acting fast he threw Edelweiss over the side of the boat.

"NOOO!" Black Widow roared.

She felt so outraged that seem to change from the inside out. Her back spines lit up with a scarlet red light. The light extended from her back and branched out like bolts of red lightening. It stopped at her head, the tip of her tail, fins, and wings. The red hourglass on her forehead lit up with the same red light. Soon her whole body lit up with red lightning and she seemed to double in size.

She split her back spines and dived at Savage and fired an enhanced red plasma blast at him. It exploded at his feet and sent him flying into the sea. While the others rescued Toothless, Black Widow dove after her rider. She used her sonar to find Edelweiss. She was sinking fast, unable to fight the heavy chains that were pulling her down. Black Widow quickly swam down and grabbed her. She carried her rider back towards the surface. She flew out and landed on the deck. By now all the hunters were all defeated and Toothless had been released. He was currently licking Hiccup's face, overjoyed to see him.

"It's good to see you too bud," Hiccup laughed. Everyone turned around when Black Widow landed on the deck, setting Edelweiss down. She wasn't breathing or moving. Black Widow nudged her desperately.

"Come on Edel, wake up," she cried. The other young dragons gathered around her. Avalon used her magic to sever the chains bound around Edelweiss.

"She's okay," Avalon said. She let out a warm breath. It was enough to rouse Edelweiss. She coughed up the water out of her lungs. She took several deep breaths.

"Edel, are you okay?" Black Widow asked, sniffing her rider franticly.

"I'm, fine," Edelweiss coughed. She opened her eyes and saw her dragon. "Wow, Black Widow you look different." They all looked at Black Widow, and she looked down at herself.

"Is that your titan wing?" Apollo asked.

"Looks like it," said Black Widow. "Shame Mother and Daddy didn't see that." She tilted her head back and shot scarlet flames into the air. Edelweiss shakily got to her feet, having to lean on Eider. When she was standing, she threw her arms around Black Widow and buried her face into her chest.

"I'm so glad you're here," she said. Black Widow hugged her back. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," Black Widow purred. Edelweiss let go of her.

"Thanks for looking after her Toothless," said Aurora. Toothless shrugged modestly and deactivated his own titan wing.

"Um, what happened to your skin Edelweiss?" Heather asked. She looked at the patches of white scales and Edel's green dragon eyes. Edelweiss looked down at herself.

"Oh, I forgot to make those disappear again," she said.

"Edelweiss was born half dragon," Re explained. "Those scales grew in when she got older." Heather frowned.

"When were you going tell me this?" She asked. "I thought you trusted me."

"Lord Draco asked me to hide them in the human world," said Edelweiss. "Because the humans would never accept a Dragonborn. Even Berk doesn't fully accept me like this. I'm too strong and too powerful."

"Dragonborn?" Heather asked. "I've never heard of that. Who else knows?"

"Just you guys," said Avalon. "And all our parents of course."

"You're not going to hurt her are you?" Black Widow asked. "She's not a bad person."

"No I won't hurt her," said Heather. She folded up her axe and lowered it. Black Widow relaxed a bit.

"Well I don't know about the rest of you guys," said Apollo. "But I'd love to get out of here."

"Me too," said Edelweiss. The riders all agreed. Hiccup put Toothless's saddle and fin back on. Then all the riders mounted their dragons, Edelweiss mounted Apollo, and they took off. Black Widow kept her titan wing activated, she really wanted to show her mother and father.

"Nice job in that fight," said Astrid to the young dragons.

"Thanks," said Avalon. "I'm glad we got to help."

"Hey while we're flying maybe we can show Heather your theme song Edel," Apollo suggested. "It's such a good one."

"It's not a theme song, it's a lullaby," said Edelweiss, blushing.

"I want to hear it anyway," said Heather. She smiled at the young dragons. They smiled.

"Please Edel, we haven't sung it in a long time," said Black Widow. Edelweiss sighed.

"Okay, but I'm just going to listen like I always do," she said.

"You sing it Apollo, since you brought it up," said Avalon. Apollo beamed. He cleared his throat and began to sing.

Edelweiss, edelweiss

Every morning you greet me

Small and white

Clean and bright

You look happy to meet me

Blossom of snow

May you bloom and grow

Bloom and grow forever

Edelweiss, edelweiss

Bless my home-land forever

When he finished singing the first round. The other young dragons joined in and they sang it a little louder.

Edelweiss, edelweiss

Every morning you greet me

Small and white

Clean and bright

You look happy to meet me

Blossom of snow

May you bloom and grow

Bloom and grow forever

Edelweiss, edelweiss

Bless my home-land forever

They finished the song. By now Edelweiss was so red in the face, she looked sunburned. She had been quiet like she'd said, but she was smiling.

"Wow, how come we've never heard that song?" Eret asked.

"Well it only gets sung when she has trouble sleeping or when we need to cheer her up," said Avalon. "It works every time." She winked at Edelweiss.

"I never sing it myself though," Edelweiss said. "I'm way too modest for that."

"It's really pretty," said Heather.

"Thanks," Edelweiss said. She patted Apollo's neck. "You sing it so well Apollo." Apollo gave a modest snort.

"Lets get back, then go meet up with my brother and those guys," he said, the scales on his face turning redder. Edelweiss pulled Apollo up to Toothless so she could give the Night Fury a grateful kiss on the cheek. Toothless purred and smiled at her. Edelweiss then steered Apollo back town to their formation. They picked up the pace and headed back towards Berserker Island as the day dawned.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Serenity and Chris were flying through the morning sky on their dragons. They had set off from Dragon's Edge and were headed of the Isle of Wingmaidens for a romantic campout. Serenity had sent several months with the Wingmaidens while her dragons were fighting the dragon hunters. She was looking forward to seeing them again. She was also hoping to see her Razorwhip friend Scissors, if he was still there.

"So how long were you with these Wingmaidens?" Windwalker asked.

"Few months," said Serenity. "I don't know how many exactly. They were very interested in my skills with dragons."

"And you say they don't like men?" Chris asked.

"They're fine with men, men just can't live there," Serenity explained. "The island is where female Razorwhips hatch their eggs. They become very hostile towards males, both human and dragon."

"That makes sense," Chris said.

"Lord Draco asked them to keep the baby Razorwhips safe from the males," Tenor explained. "Way back when they were endangered. I'd imagine it's really frustrating to have male dragons kill the dragonets of their rivals, when humans keep killing the adults."

"Like Aurora said, Draco doesn't let any dragon go extinct," said Serenity.

"You're sure they won't mind having you on the island?" Windwalker asked Tenor.

"They didn't mind last time," said Tenor. "They'll be fine with Chris too, you just have to stay out of the nesting site."

"We're here," Serenity announced. She pointed to a tall island that was surrounded by sea stacks. They landed their dragons on a sea stack where they could see the village. The Wingmaidens were already up and about, attending to the young Razorwhips.

"Wow, there's a lot of them," Chris said.

"Yes," said Serenity. "I'll go see if I can find Atali. Wait here." She clicked the reins and Tenor took off.

He let out a loud roar as they approached. The Wingmaides looked up as Tenor and Serenity flew up to them. They seemed excited when they recognized Serenity. A woman with dark brown hair flew up to them, smiling.

"Serenity, it's so good to see you," she said. "And you as well Tenor." Tenor smiled.

"It's good to see you too Mindon," Serenity said. "Where's Atali?"

"She's in her hut," said Mindon. "You remember the way?" Serenity glanced down at the village.

"It's been a while since I was hear last," she said. "But I think so."

"I'll show you," Mindon insisted. "Save you the search." Serenity gave in and steered Tenor after her. The other Wingmaidens followed. "I see you're still riding that Night Fury hybrid." Mindon scratched Tenor's ears.

"Yes," said Serenity fondly, patting his neck. "And don't worry, I'll keep him well away from the nesting grounds." They landed outside one of the huts and Serenity dismounted.

"Atali, come see who's paying us a visit," Mindon called through the open doorway. A moment later Atali came out looking curious. She smiled when she saw who was at her door.

"Serenity, you've returned," she said. Serenity smiled back. They hugged each other. Tenor waited patiently. They pulled apart after a while. "What brings you back here?"

"Hiccup and my comrades are visiting Dragon's Edge for the summer," Tenor said. "We're showing our young ones around the area." Atali lit up at this.

"You have children," she said.

"Yes," said Serenity. "They're currently with the Berkians, Re and Aurora on Berserker Island."

"So you're married," said Atali.

"You remember when I told you about my childhood friend Chris?" Serenity asked, absentmindedly stroking Tenor's ears.

"Yes, you said he'd drowned in the sea," said Atali. "Many years ago."

"Well, turns out he survived," Serenity said. "And he's here." She looked back in the direction of where Chris and Windwalker were still waiting.

"He rides my mate Windwalker," said Tenor. "She's a Night Fury."

"A Night Fury?" Atali said, impressed. "I thought Hiccup rode the last Night Fury."

"There are still some left," said Serenity. "Very few though."

"Show me," said Atali. Serenity got back on Tenor and took off, with Atali following.

They flew back to the sea stack. Chris and Windwalker were still waiting. Tenor landed on the sea stack and Atali landed next to him. A few other Wingmaidens were hovering nearby.

"You must be Atali," Chris said.

"And you must be Chris," said Atali. "Serenity told us a lot about you. She said you were lost to the sea."

"Yes, I was," Chris said, solemnly. "But I was rescued by sea dragons, then captured by savages. That's where I met my friend here, Windwalker." He looked over his shoulder at his dragon. Windwalker crooned politely. "We escaped and she flew me back to her home. I lived there for ten years, helping to defend them agains hostile humans."

"Hello Windwalker," said Atali, with respect. Windwalker crooned again. Atali looked back at Chris. "Serenity also said you can speak to dragons like she can."

"Yes, I was the first one to learn to speak to dragons," Chris said. "She was the second."

"We'd love to hear of your adventures," said Atali. She glanced at the island. "We usually don't allow men on our island."

"Because of the nesting Razorwhips," Chris said. "I completely respect your customs. These Razorwhips must really have a lot of trust in you, to let you help protect your hatchlings."

"Yes," said Atali, stroking the baby Razorwhip on her back. "And it's a trust we honer by making sure these young ones have the best chance to survive." The baby dragon chirped and nibbled Atali's fingers. "Anyway, we'll allow you to stay until your other friends come for you."

"Thanks Atali," said Serenity.

"We promise to stay out of the way of the nesting Razorwhips," Chris said. "I've been raised to respect a mother dragon's boundaries." Atali smiled.

"Come then, we'll escort you back then you can tell us your adventures with this Night Fury," she glanced over at Windwalker again. "Then we can show you where you can stay." Chris mounted his dragon and they all took off.

They headed for Atali's hut, landed, and went inside. Atali put a log in the fire and invited her guests to sit down. The two nightly dragons laid down. They talked about their adventures. Chris talked about living in the mountains with Windwalker and fighting their enemies. Tenor talked about the Battle of the Beweilderbeast, and about Toothless becoming the alpha. Then they talked about Edelweiss and her young friends, and the adventures they'd had with them. All the way up to the last few days. Atali was very interested in hearing about Valka and the Beweilderbeast. By the time they had finished, it was late afternoon.

"That is an amazing story," Atali said. "We look forward to meeting these young dragons."

"They'll come here in just a few days," Tenor said. "Serenity was really excited about coming back here, so we passed up going to Berserker Island and decided to come here." Serenity smiled and blushed.

"Sounds like you're trying to do everything before you run out of time," Atali said.

"We're heading home in about two weeks," Chris said. Tenor sighed.

"We want to make sure the dragonets have seen everything there is up here," he said. "We're also hoping they'll get along with Hiccup and his riders." He glanced out the open doorway. The sun was starting to set. "It'll be dark soon. Should we look for a camp site?"

"Yes, we should," Serenity said. "I already have a place in mind."

"Do you remember the parts of the island to stay clear of?" Atali asked.

"Yes," said Serenity. They all got to their feet and left the hut. Chris and Serenity mounted their dragons.

"Thank you for letting us stay here," Chris said.

"It's our honor," said Atali. "Any fellow servant of the Dragon God is welcome here." The two dragons took off and flew over the island.

"So where's this spot you mentioned?" Chris asked. Serenity smiled.

"This way," she said. She steered Tenor towards the cliffs, away from the village. She steered him towards a large cave that was several feet above the ocean. They landed and entered the cave. It was longer then it was wide.

"I remember this cave," Tenor said.

"Whenever the island was under attack, I'd come here and wait for any wounded," Serenity said. "I'd often bring the newborn Razorwhips here too." She patted Tenor's neck.

"You were actually one of these Wingmaidens," Chris said. "And you lived here, without Tenor or my parents?" Serenity lowered her eyes sadly.

"Yes, and it was very hard," she said. "I didn't know if I'd see them alive again. These dragon hunters kept getting smarter."

"Did they visit you at least?" Windwalker asked.

"Tenor and Aurora did a few times" said Serenity. "But Re never did. I could never figure out why." Tenor kept a straight face.

"Well it sounded like Berk was hitting hard times," Chris said, dismounting. "And this was a powerful enemy they were fighting. I'm sure Dad wanted to devote his time and energy to win the war."

"And this was before Toothless was alpha," Tenor said. "Re was the closest thing to a leader for the dragons up here."

"I understand that," Serenity asked. Chris went over to Tenor's side. Serenity swung her leg over the front of the saddle and slid down into his arms.

"Why don't we get camp set up," Chris suggested. "And let these nice dragons rest." Serenity smiled.

"Good idea," she said. They turned and unsaddled their dragons, and removed the camping gear. Tenor made a fire pit and lit it. When their saddles were off, the two dragons went outside to watch the sunset.

Windwalker warmed the stone under her feet, then laid down. Tenor laid down next to her. She leaned into him and nuzzled his neck. Tenor draped his wing around her.

"It'll be nice to be home," Windwalker said. "And go back to Mt. Vulcan."

"Yeah," Tenor said. "As much as loved living on Dragon's Edge, I have to admit that those days are over." He looked sad.

"But it's only over for us," said Windwalker. "It's not over for Black Widow and her friends."

"True," said Tenor.

"It seems like just yesterday she was crawling out of her egg," Windwalker sighed. "She was small enough to fit in my mouth. Now she's all grown up, and ready to head out on her own." She blinked back tears. Tenor laid his head down on his front talons.

"It's not like we'll never see her again," he said. "We'll be living on Mt. Vulcan and she'll be living in the castle." Windwalker smiled.

"Maybe we can hatch another egg," she suggested. Tenor's eyes went wide with shock. He sat up and looked at her.

"Another one?" He asked.

"Yeah," Windwalker said. "It can be done." Tenor considered, tapping his talons on the stone.

"I suppose," he said. "Though Black Widow should be told about it."

"Of course," Windwalker said. She nibbled his face. He closed his eyes lazily. She tucked her head under his throat.

"You think Toothless will ever find a mate?" Tenor asked.

"Well, that tail of is will make that very hard," Windwalker said. "And Furies are extremely rare, both black ones and white ones." Tenor perked up.

"There are white ones?" He asked.

"Yes, I've seen a few," Windwalker said. "I've never met one, but I have seen them. I think Lord Draco is keeping them very well hidden."

"So, lets pretend that Toothless has both his tail fins," Tenor said. "Would he be able to attract a mate."

"Well, he has a lot of charm and he's very loyal," Windwalker said. "But his tail isn't the only thing that will make getting a mate hard. He's lived a domesticated life for a very long time. He probably won't know what to do if he came across a female. She'd have to be pretty forgiving."

"I kind of feel bad for him," Tenor said. "He has no idea what he's missing." He nuzzled her lovingly.

"Me too," said Windwalker. "But I don't think he feels sorry for himself. He seems pretty happy with Hiccup. But I do hope he finds a mate." She closed her eyes and wormed her face into his warm neck. Tenor laid his head back down and she licked him behind his ears.

Inside the cave Chris and Serenity were setting up their campsite. Since they were in a cave, they didn't need a tent and they still only had one sleeping bag. They set up the campsite, not saying much. Serenity finished laying out the the sleeping bag. Chris came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. Her skin was so soft and warm. Serenity took a deep breath and placed her hands over his.

"You're so beautiful," Chris whispered in her ear. Serenity smiled warmly. She turned to face him and wrapped her arms his neck. Chris pulled her closer to him.

"What do you want to do tomorrow?" Serenity asked. Chris considered.

"Is there a way to observe the female Razorwhips without getting in their way?" He asked.

"Yes," said Serenity. "With binoculars. Though you're not missing much, it's nothing you haven't seen back home."

"Well we'll think of something," Chris said. He kissed her deeply. Serenity kissed him back, and it made her mind go blank. Chris gripped her firmly. They pulled apart to draw breath. Chris laid down on top of the sleeping bag. Serenity laid beside him, and they faced each other. The sun had gone down by now and the only light came from the campfire. Chris gently touched Serenity's face. They kissed again, and pressed their bodies together.

The next morning, Serenity woke up to bright sunlight. She was wrapped in the sleeping bag with Chris, who was still asleep. She rested her hand on his bare chest, right where his scar was. She snuggled closer to him and waited patiently for him to wake up. She could hear the two dragons moving about outside. A moment later Chris stirred. Serenity smiled at him.

"Good morning," she whispered.

"Good morning," Chris said, smiling back. "You ready to show me the rest of this place?" Serenity kissed him.

"We should probably get dressed first," she said.

"Says who?" Chris asked jokingly. "The dragons won't care."

"Yeah, but the Wingmaidens might," said Serenity. "It's also pretty cold out there."

"Mmm, I suppose that's true," Chris said.

"Of course we could just lay here all day," Serenity said, fluttering her eye.

"I don't think we should keep those dragons waiting," Chris said. "I'll go check on them." He untangled himself from the sleeping bag and got to his feet. He picked up his shirt and put it on, he'd kept his trousers on. He grabbed his coat on the way out.

Outside he found the two dragons were eating a large pile of fish. They looked up when Chris came out. Tenor swallowed a salmon.

"Morning," he said cheerfully. "Sounds like you had a nice night."

"We did," Chris said. "Did you two?"

"Yup," said Windwalker. "What are we doing today?" Chris glanced over his shoulder at the cave.

"Serenity plans on showing us around this place," he said. "Then go from there." Windwalker looked at Tenor.

"How much of this island have you seen?" She asked him.

"Quite a bit," Tenor said. "We'll just have to keep an eye out for those mother Razorwhips."

"Of course," Windwalker said. At that moment Serenity came out, pulling on her riding jacket. Tenor got to his feet and nuzzled her shoulder. She hugged him.

"Are any of you hungry?" She asked. But then she spotted the pile of fish. "I guess not."

"We're ready to go," Windwalker said.

Once all the fish had been eaten, Chris and Serenity saddled their dragons. They mounted them and took off. They flew over the island and the village. Serenity steered them well clear of the nesting site. The greeted the Wingmaidens as they flew passed. They then flew high up to the very top of the island and landed on the peak. They looked out over the ocean.

"I wonder how things are going back on Berserker Island," Windwalker said. "I know those young ones get really nervous when they approach a new village."

"They'll be okay," Serenity said. "Heather will make sure they aren't locked up or separated. I also think Toothless wants to start treating Avalon as an equal, since he's an alpha and she'll be a queen."

"You don't suppose he'll pick her for his queen," Tenor said.

"No, she has her eye on Eider," Chris said. "But I do hope Toothless finds a mate. He probably doesn't realize how lonely he his."

"It'll be hard for him," Windwalker said. "With his damaged tail and the fact that he's lived a domesticated life for so long."

"Hiccup can always build him a fin that allows him to fly by himself," Serenity said. "He's done it before. So the tail won't be a problem."

"So why does he wear the red one still?" Chris asked.

"He doesn't want to leave Hiccup," said Serenity. She patted Tenor's neck. "But I can see the domesticated part being a problem. He has no experience with females."

"He can figure it out," Chris said. "Tenor didn't have any experience either and he turned out fine."

"This is true," Tenor said. Serenity patted his neck.

"Well lets go see the rest of this place," she suggested

They took off again. They landed in the forest and explored more of the island on foot. Serenity asked the Wingmaidens if her friend Scissors was on the island somewhere. But they said they hadn't seen him in a long time. She was disappointed, but made the best of it. They continued to explore the island, until the sun went down. They headed back to the cave. Atali gave them some items for dinner.

When they got back to the cave, Tenor lit the campfire and Serenity got dinner started. Tenor and Windwalker laid down together in the mouth of the cave. Windwalker dozed off, resting her head on Tenor's shoulder. Tenor entwined his tail around hers and put his wing around her. His body felt so warm and solid against her scales. She could hear his strong heart beating in his chest. Her mind wandered back to when she first saw him, when he and his friends arrived at her mountain. At first she thought little of him, he was just another dragon to her. But as she got a better look at him and his unique look, she grew more curious about him. She had never met a hybrid before. He was a stark contrast from Syrik. Tenor was very kind, funny, extremely loyal, brave, and humble. He had had such an eagerness to fight bad guys. There was not a dragon in the world that could measure up, except for Black Widow. She'd wanted to ask him to be her mate, but instead she ended up attacking him and almost killing him. Yet he still came back to help her and saved her life. She still remembered the look on his face when she agreed to be his mate. He'd looked as though the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders, end even more so when Black Widow hatched. The happy memories drifted her off to sleep.

When dinner was all finished and eaten, Chris and Serenity got ready for bed, and climbed into the sleeping bag. Tenor was the only one who remained awake. He watched the crescent moon and stars come out. He yawned and laid his head down. The moon wasn't bright enough to make him want to fly among the stars. He curled around Windwalker and fell asleep.

The next morning, Tenor and Windwalker woke up before their riders again. They went out to find breakfast, remembering to stay well away from the Razorwhips' nesting site. Chris woke up a few minuets after the dragons left. He looked down at Serenity, who was still asleep in his arms. They were wrapped up in the sleeping bag, pressing her body snugly against his. He ran a finger up her back, and it was enough to rouse her. She opened her eyes and stretched. She looked up at him then smiled.

"Hello," she said sleepily. "You think the others will be joining us today?"

"Either today or tomorrow," Chris said. "You looking forward to going home soon?"

"Yeah, I will miss this place though," Serenity said. "I'll never forget it." She took a deep breath. "Are the dragons still here?"

"No, they went out to look for food," Chris said. Serenity wormed closer to him.

"What do you want to do while we wait for them to come back?" She asked. Chris considered, looking into her eyes. He ran his hand down her body, and rested it on her hip. Serenity smiled and blinked slowly.

"How about we pick up where we left off last night," he suggested.

"That's a great idea," Serenity said softly. She kissed him deeply. Chris kissed her back, clutching her body firmly to his.

Half an hour later Tenor and Windwalker returned from their hunt with two enormous boars. Both boars were already skinned and gutted. Tenor set down his boar, feeling pleased with himself.

"Maybe Serenity will show us the Razorwhip shrine today," he said hopefully.

"Perhaps," said Windwalker. "We have at least another day before the others meet up with us." She began ripping the meat off her boar. Tenor soon began eating his kill. They waited until their riders got out of bed.

Chris and Serenity soon got up and dressed. They ate the left over food from last night. Then they joined their dragons outside. By then the two boars were completely stripped of their meat. Tenor asked Serenity about the Razorwhip shrine.

"Sure we can go see that," Serenity answered.

"You're sure it's okay for Chris and Tenor to into it?" Windwalker asked.

"They can go in," said Serenity. "They just can't vandalize it." She mounted Tenor and Chris mounted Windwalker. They took off, and headed for the Razorwhip shrine.

They found it and circled the rim. They all looked into the deep, dark shaft. Then Serenity steered Tenor into it, and the other two followed. Tenor used his sonar to guide them all to the bottom of the shaft without hitting anything. Tenor landed and shot fire at the large torch in the middle of the shrine. Windwalker landed next to him. They wandered around the shrine, and glanced up at the mural of a titan wing Razorwhip. Chris then saw the tombstones with carvings of Razorwhips.

"This is the first time I've ever seen a dragon graveyard," he said.

"Yes," Serenity agreed. "Though no dragon is actually buried here. This is a sort of Wingmaiden version of Vanahiem."

"So they respect all Razorwhips, not just females and dragonets?" Windwalker asked.

"Yes," said Serenity. "It's only during the mating and nesting seasons when male Razorwhips become a problem." She patted Tenor's neck. "Speaking of which. We should go see the newborn Razorwhips. I'm sure Atali will be glad to show us."

They explored the rest of the shrine. Then Tenor extinguished the torch, and they headed back out. They flew back down to the village. The Wingmaidens were busy taking care of their Razorwhips. They found Atali among them. She smiled when her guests landed.

"How are you enjoying our island?" She asked.

"It's really beautiful," Chris said. "That shrine is a very nice gesture."

"Thank you," said Atali. "We're about to head for lunch, you're welcome to join us." She picked up her little Razorwhip and cradled it.

"Gladly," said Serenity. She and Chris dismounted. They headed back towards the great hall. "So how many newborns did you get this year?"

"About sixty," Atali said happily. "Twice the number we had last year."

"Perhaps we can see them after lunch," Serenity suggested. Atali considered.

"All right," she said. "Since you all have raised children of your own." They reached the great hall.

After a lunch of yak meat and the Wingmaiden's herbal tea, Atali led her guests through the village to the Razowhip nursery. They arrived and found many baby Razorwhips roaming around, bumping into each other in a small and shallow pit. They had their eyes closed. They chirped in surprise whenever they bumped into something. They didn't even see the humans and dragons that were looking down at them.

"So they're really blind," Chris said.

"All Razorwhips are born blind," Serenity said. "So they're kept in here for a few weeks until they get their sight, so they don't get hurt."

"They're so tiny," Chris said softly. "I remember when Apollo and Avalon were that small." Atali smiled at him.

"You really see them as siblings," she said admiringly.

"I do," Chris said. "They're almost adults now." He looked down at the Razorwhips, remembering when Avalon and Apollo hatched. They were no bigger than these Razorwhips. Tenor and Windwalker also remembered when Black Widow had hatched, and been that small too.

"I'm pretty sure the dragonets would love to meet these Razorwhips," Tenor said.

"When will they be arriving?" Atali asked.

"Today or tomorrow," Chris said. "Then we'll be heading back to Dragon's Edge, after they see this place."

They spent the rest of the afternoon in the village. Atali invited them to dinner in the evening. When they headed for the great hall after the baby Razorwhips had been well fed and groomed, the two riders and dragons scanned the sky for any sign of the rest of their family and friends. None of them showed.

At dinner Atali asked her guests what they planned to do when they got back to Draconia.

"We plan to live on the shores of Draconia's largest lake," Chris said. "Our dragons plan on a volcanic island off Draconia's northern shore." Both Tenor and Windwalker had headed out sea, to fish for their own dinner.

"Will you still be healing dragons?" Mindon asked Serenity.

"Yes I am," said Serenity. "I'll never get tired of it." She smiled warmly.

"I plan to help my dad build and run his volcano lab," Chris said. "I'm not as enthusiastic about volcanos as he is, but he will most likely need some help."

"Why is Re so interested in volcanos?" Mindon asked.

"They're mountains that breathe fire," said Serenity. "Re relates to them. He also has five volcanos to keep an eye on. He figures the more he knows about volcanos, the more help he can give to those living near them."

"That makes sense," said Atali.

"He also wants to know how much dragons have in common with volcanos," Chris said. "He's curious if volcanos uses the same science as dragons to breathe fire."

"These volcanos on his land have erupted?" Atali asked.

"Yes," said Serenity. "Three of them are still active. The two older ones are just dormant."

They were wrapping up dinner and their conversations, when Tenor and Windwalker returned from the sea. They reported a thunderstorm heading for the island from the south. Grateful for the heads up, Atali told her Wingmaidens to secure the village and the Razorwhips. They left the great hall and got to work. Chris, Serenity, Tenor, and Windwalker helped out. The storm clouds rapidly approached the island. The wind picked up and the water grew choppy.

When the village was secure Atali thanked her guests, and gave them left over food from the dinner. It started to rain as Chris and Serenity mounted their dragons and flew back towards the cave. The thunder and lightening started as they landed and went inside. Windwalker warmed a spot near the cave entrance and laid down to watch the storm. Tenor lit the campfire then went to join her, leaving their riders to themselves. Chris and Serenity sat next to each other on top of the sleeping bag. The storm raged outside.

"You think the others will get caught in that?" Serenity wondered aloud.

"They'll probably go around it," Chris said. "Or land to wait it out. I imagine Avalon doesn't want to get hit by lightening again."

"I hope she handles this storm okay," Serenity said.

"Mmm, she can get through it," Chris said. "I did." Serenity scooted closer to him and held his hand.

"Were storms hard for you while you were away?" She asked softly.

"Yes," Chris said. "Every time one passed over the mountain I'd have nightmares about falling off the saddle. Windwalker was always there to make me feel better though." He glanced in the direction of the two dragons. Serenity rested her cheek on his shoulder.

"I think Re had similar nightmares whenever a storm passed over Draconia," she said. "Aurora always helped him to feel better." Chris gave her a sad smile. He put his arm around her and pulled her closer to him, letting his hand rest on her hip again.

"What about you?" He asked. Serenity took a deep breath.

"I wasn't there with the two of you," she said. "So I didn't see it. But every time I flew through a storm, it would make me miss you more."

"At least that's all in the past now," Chris said, cheering up. He gently squeezed her hip. Serenity sighed with pleasure and closed her eyes lazily.

"You ready for another night?" She asked.

"I'm so ready, that I'm eager for another night," Chris said smoothly. "That thunder and lighting will keep me up for a while." He gently laid Serenity down onto of sleeping bag and laid down on his side beside her.

"I usually fall asleep faster when it rains," Serenity said. "I find the sounds of a storm very soothing nowadays." She blushed. "Am I bragging?"

"Yeah a bit," Chris said. Serenity smiled apologetically. Chris moved the hand that was still on her hip, and gently ran his fingers over her delicate lips. Serenity relaxed and let him continue.

"You excited about Avalon becoming queen?" She asked.

"I sure am," Chris said. "And I'm sure she'll make a great queen. Though I'm probably not as excited as she is."

"True," said Serenity. "She gets more excited the close she gets to being crowned." She kissed the fingers that were still caressing her lips. Chris continued doing so. Then he moved his hand so he could kiss her. He placed his hand back on her hip and slid it under her shirt so he could touch her soft skin.

The storm raged on outside. It intensified every hour. Waves, wind, and rain hounded the island. However inside the cave, it was toasty warm. Tenor and Windwalker were fast asleep. Chris and Serenity had tangled themselves in the sleeping bag again, pressing their bodies together. The storm kept them both awake. But another hour passed, and they eventually fell asleep in each other's embrace.

There was a dense fog covering the island the next morning, and it was still raining. The fog leaked into the cave a bit and covered the two dragons. Serenity and Chris remained cozy in the sleeping bag. They woke up and saw the fog and rain.

"I guess we should wait until that goes away before we head out," Chris said.

"No arguments here," said Serenity. Her stomach rumbled.

"Time for breakfast," Chris said, amused. He got out of the sleeping bag and put his shirt and coat back on. Serenity sat up, still wrapped in the sleeping bag like a mummy. She fixed her hair while Chris reheated the food they had gotten from the Wingmaidens. Tenor and Windwalker soon woke up, finding themselves drenched in moisture from the fog.

"Looks like fishing is out," Tenor said, shaking the water off his scales.

"I hope the rest of our group can land in this fog," said Windwalker.

"Those dragon riders have done it before," Tenor said. "They've flown though all types of weather."

"That was a pretty big storm," said Windwalker. "I hope none of them got hurt."

"Me too," said Tenor. They went over and joined their riders to get away from the fog.

"How'd you guys sleep?" Windwalker asked her rider. "I know you have trouble sleeping through storms."

"It took a while, but we eventually fell asleep," Chris said. "That storm was intense." The dragons laid down beside their respective riders.

When breakfast was finished, Serenity finally got dressed. The fog was just starting to lift and the rain stopped. Sunlight leaked through the fog. Chris and Serenity packed up their small campsite and saddled their dragons.

"We should head down to the village when the fog lifts," Serenity suggested. "That's were the others will be able to find us easier."

"I wonder if those young ones have managed to stay out of trouble in our absence," said Tenor, snickering.

"You never know, maybe they got the riders out of trouble," said Serenity. She was just putting her medical bag onto Tenor's saddle, when Chris suddenly cried out in pain. They all spun around to see him clutching his upper left arm.

"Chris, what happened?" Windwalker asked, worried.

"I don't know," Chris groaned. "I suddenly felt something stab me in the arm." Serenity went over to him.

"Let me see," she said softly. Chris took off his coat so she could look at his arm. To her surprise there was no injury, not even a scratch. "Must be a muscle cramp."

"Doesn't hurt like a muscle cramp," Chris said. "It feels more like a stab." He still spoke like it hurt a lot. Serenity felt the skin and muscle, trying to find some reason for it to hurt. She found nothing. Chris suddenly cried out again, this time clutching his right shoulder.

"What is going on?" Serenity asked, more to herself. "There aren't any bugs in here, so it can't be a bug bite." Chris suddenly passed out and collapsed, but was quickly caught by Serenity and Windwalker. They laid him down and leaned him against the wall. Serenity got her stethoscope out of her bag and used it to listen to his heart. It was beating faster than normal, as though it was panicking. Chris suddenly shuddered and clutched his head. Serenity looked at it, and again found no injury. At that moment someone landed outside the cave. Serenity and the two dragons turned to see Atali enter the cave.

"Serenity you have to come quick," she said urgently. "Your friends are getting attacked by the mother Razorwhips. I think they got lost in the fog and strayed into their nesting site."

"Oh, that might explain things," Serenity said quietly to herself. She got up and grabbed her back. "Tenor you stay here and watch Chris. Windwalker, I'm going to need your help getting passed those Razorwhips, since you're a female." Windwalker nodded without arguing. Serenity mounted her, and slung her bag over her shoulder. Tenor laid down beside Chris. Serenity and Windwalker followed Atali out of the cave.

They flew through the fog to the Razorwhip nesting site. They found the mother Razorwhips chasing the Berkian dragon riders, Aurora and the younger Draconians. The only one not being chased was Re. While Atali went to help the riders escape the Razorwhips, Serenity flew Windwalker passed them and looked for Re. They quickly found him laying spreadeagled in a clearing. He had two sliver Razorwhip tailspikes sticking out of him, one in his left front leg, and one his right shoulder. Windwalker flew down and landed in the clearing. Serenity dismounted and knelt beside Re. In addition to the spikes, he also had a nasty bump on his head. Serenity got to work and examined his wounds, luckily neither spike had stabbed an organ. She injected Re with Speed Stinger venom, so he wouldn't feel any pain and so he wouldn't move as she tried to pull out the spikes.

Windwalker watched the riders and dragons above trying to keep the Razorwhips away from their king. Then Black Widow flew by and spotted her mother. She flew down and landed in the clearing.

"Hi Mother," she said, panting. Windwalker was quick to notice the glowing red lightening that covered her daughter's body.

"Black Widow, did you unlock you titan wing?" She asked.

"Yes I did," Black Widow boasted proudly. "All by myself." Windwalker beamed and nuzzled Black Widow.

"Shame I missed it," she said. "But well done anyway."

"Thanks Mother," said Black Widow. "I'll tell you all about it, when we get out of here." She looked up at the angry Razorwhips.

"Serenity, I'm going to go help them," Windwalker said.

"Go ahead," said Serenity. "This will take a while, and I have to wait for the Speed Stinger venom to wear off." Windwalker and Black Widow took off and joined the dragons in the air. Serenity went back to her work. She washed both wounds with Night Fury saliva, then stitched them up. Re stay unmoving the whole time. Serenity sang to him while she worked.

When his injuries were stitched up and bandaged, Serenity addressed the bump on his head. By now the venom had worn off and Re moved his limbs as much as he could.

"You feeling better?" Serenity asked him quietly. Re took a deep breath.

"Much better, thank you," he moaned. "How's Chris, I imagine he felt all this."

"He was passed out when we left the cave," Serenity said. "Tenor's back there watching him. You think you can still fly?" She finished with the bump on his head, and Re slowly sat up. He opened his wings and flapped them a few times.

"I think so," he said. "At least for a short flight." He rolled so his legs were under him. Serenity got to her feet and gave him room. Re gritted his teeth and pulled himself up. He steadied himself, ignoring the pain in his shoulder and front leg. He looked over at Serenity.

"Thank you," he said. "I don't think I can fly you out of here though."

"Don't worry about me," said Serenity. "Windwalker will be back, just go." Re spread his wings and took off. He flew wobbly over the trees. The other dragons saw him and kept the Razorwhips away from him. Windwalker went back and got Serenity. Then they all got out of there and headed back to the village.

They met up with Tenor, Chris, and the other Wingmaidens at the village. Re landed sloppily but stayed standing. Chris was leaning on Tenor. The other dragons landed and the riders dismounted. Avalon ran over to Re and nuzzled him.

"Are you okay Daddy?" She asked. Re nuzzled her back reassuringly.

"I'm okay," he said. "It just hurts. Nothing important was damaged."

"I'm glad of that," said Aurora, walking up beside them. "You scared me back there." She nuzzled both her mate and her daughter. Then she turned to the Wingmaidens. "Thank you Atali."

"Our pleasure," said Atali happily. "It must have been hard to see anything through that fog."

"It was," said Apollo. "We had no idea what part of the island we were approaching. Toothless and Black Widow did the best they could with their sonar, but even that can't tell north from south." Tenor looked over at Black Widow, and also noticed her titan wing.

"Wow, look at you Black Widow," he praised. "What in Draco's name did we miss?"

"We had to rescue Edelweiss and Toothless from Mildew and Savage," said Black Widow, she sounded thrilled. "Savage had Edel by the neck and threw her overboard. It made me so mad that my titan wing sort of activated of its own accord, and I dove in to get her." Edelweiss herself dismounted Eider, her scales and dragon eyes still hidden. She looked just as thrilled and proud of herself as Black Widow. She happily hugged Serenity, who hugged her back.

"Are you all right my flower?" Serenity asked.

"Yes Mother," said Edelweiss. She let go. "Toothless didn't let them hurt me too much. And look I even patched his injury." She pointed at Toothless's hind leg, which was wrapped in an old tail fin. He seemed to be favoring it. Serenity couldn't help but be impressed. While she examined the wound, Edelweiss hugged her father. Chris hugged her back, even though he still felt sore from Re's injuries.

"You're growing up fast," he said.

"That's a good thing right?" Edelweiss asked, letting go.

"It's a very good thing," Chris said.

"Well why don't we go exchange stories while we wait for this fog to lift," Hiccup suggested. "And while we wait for Re to get better."

"Good idea," said Aurora. They all followed Atali towards the great hall. Both Re and Toothless were limping.

In the great hall, the dragons and riders exchanged their stories while eating lunch. The young dragons were beyond excited about the rescue the got to take part in. Serenity checked on Re's injuries. She gave him tiny doses of Speed Stinger venom to help him with the pain. The wound on Toothless's leg was healing nicely, though it was making his leg sore. She dabbed at it with a rag with Speed Stinger venom on it. It brought Toothless relief and he could walk on it more comfortably.

"Edelweiss did a nice job on that," he said.

"She sure did," said Serenity. "There's no sign of infection."

"Who knows, she might become a better healer then you," Toothless said jokingly. Serenity snickered.

"Perhaps she will," she said. "It wouldn't bother me one bit if she did." She wrapped his leg in a cleaner bandage and put the dirty, bloodstained tail fin into her bag. "I'll give that back to you when I've cleaned it." She patted his neck. She gathered up her bag and joined everyone else at the table. She sat beside Chris.

"How are you feeling?" she asked softly, so only he could hear.

"Much better," Chris said. He gripped her hand in his. Serenity smiled and kissed his cheek. "You ready to head back to the Edge?"

"Yeah I am," Serenity said. "Though I imagine Avalon and those guys will want to explore this island first."

"It'll give Dad a chance to recover," Chris pointed out. "I can tell it hurts him to fly." Serenity nodded in agreement. She looked over at Re who was sound asleep. Someone had put a pile of fish and boar meat in front of him. "Thanks for helping him." Chris added.

"You're welcome," she said.

The fog soon lifted. Edelweiss and the younger dragons went to explore the island. Astrid and Stormfly followed them to provide supervision. Re was still in pain, but he could at least limp around the village. Aurora stayed by his side the whole time.

"You think you'll be able to fly back to the Edge?" She asked.

"I think so," Re said. "It doesn't hurt to fly, just to land. We can go when the young ones are done exploring." He nuzzled Aurora's neck.

"I'm glad you're okay," she said, nuzzling him back. "If I loose you, I loose Chris too. I couldn't bare that."

"Then it's a good thing we have Serenity," said Re. "And it looks like Edelweiss is doing her proud."

"Yes," said Aurora happily.

When the dragonets were done exploring, and meeting the baby Razorwhips, the group gathered in the village. The riders mounted their dragons. Serenity stayed on the ground for a little longer. She turned to face Atali.

"Thank you for letting us stay here," she said.

"It was wonderful to see you again Serenity," said Atali. "And we thank you for helping us ready our village for that storm." She and Serenity hugged each other. "I wish you a safe flight home."

"Thank you," said Serenity. "And good luck with those Razorwhips." They let go and stepped back. Serenity mounted Tenor and joined the rest of her group. They took off and headed back towards Dragon's Edge.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Edelweiss woke up one night, and felt terrible. Her head hurt, her throat burned, and her limbs felt too heavy to move. She suddenly coughed painfully, and it lasted several minuets. She turned over onto her side. Her four dragon friends were sound asleep, and she was laying in the middle of their tight huddle. Edelweiss faced Black Widow, and carefully roused her. Black Widow woke up when she felt how hot Edelweiss's skin was. She sat up looking worried.

"Edel, what's wrong my love?" She whispered.

"I don't feel good," Edelweiss moaned.

"You want me to go get your mother?" Black Widow asked. Edelweiss nodded, as it hurt to much to speak. Black Widow got to her feet and went over to the near by tent. Edelweiss tried to make herself comfortable between Avalon and Apollo. She suddenly felt colder with Black Widow gone. She coughed again and burst into tears when it made her throat sting. This was enough to wake the other three dragons. They instantly grew concerned. Edelweiss curled up into a ball, shivering. Avalon put a wing around her.

"How bad do you feel?" the Princess asked.

"Every thing hurts," Edelweiss croaked. "Black Widow went to get my mother."

"Then you'll be okay," said Eider. "She'll know what to do."

"Yes," said Edelweiss.

"Do you think you can go back to sleep?" Avalon asked. "We'll stay right here." Edelweiss closed her eyes and snuggled close to her dragons. She felt warmer with Avalon's wing over her, and soon fell asleep again.

The next morning, Edelweiss was still fast asleep. Her friends stayed next to her. Serenity told them that she had a very, very high fever. This worried them, especially Black Widow.

"Will she be okay?" She asked.

"Eventually yes," said Serenity. "But I don't know how long it will take. I'm going to see if I can get her moved indoors somewhere, and get her out of the elements." She got to her feet and mounted Tenor.

They asked around for a place for Edelweiss to stay while she recovered. Unfortunately most of the riders didn't want her in their huts, incase it got them sick too. In addition, none of them had a lot of room for all four of her dragon friends. Serenity gave up after everyone said no. Both Hiccup and Astrid saw that she was really distressed. They found her in the arena with Tenor. Serenity looked very sad.

"Hey Serenity, how's Edelweiss doing?" Hiccup asked.

"I haven't been back to check on her," Serenity said quietly. "I'm still having trouble finding an indoor place to put her." She put her hand over her face and rubbed her eyes.

"No one is willing to have her in their hut?" Astrid asked. Serenity shook her head.

"They don't want to catch whatever she has," said Tenor. "They also don't want her friends crowding their huts." Hiccup and Astrid exchanged a glance.

"How about the clubhouse," Astrid suggested. "No one lives there, and it has plenty of room for all her friends." Serenity took a deep breath.

"I can get a cot set up for her," said Hiccup. "In the meantime she can spend the night on the ground floor of my hut. But her dragons will have to sleep outside." Serenity looked at him.

"You're not worried about getting sick?" She asked.

"I can risk it for one night," Hiccup said. Serenity smiled gratefully.

"Thank you Hiccup," she said. She rode Tenor out of the arena.

She checked on Edelweiss. She was awake, but hadn't moved. The four young dragons were watching her, looking worried. They looked up when Serenity approached them and dismounted.

"Edel, Hiccup is going to let you sleep in his hut for the night," she said. Edelweiss just nodded, feeling too miserable to speak.

"You guys will have to stay outside though," said Tenor. "Hiccup doesn't have room in his hut for all four of you, plus Toothless." The young dragons didn't like this at all.

"She'll be all alone in there," said Avalon. Tenor narrowed his eyes.

"I think she'll be just fine," he said firmly. "It's only for one night, then you'll all move to the clubhouse." This quieted them down a bit.

Serenity got Edelweiss onto her feet, with the help from the other dragons. They got her onto Tenor's saddle. They then headed up to Hiccup's hut. He was ready for them. He'd moved his bed to the ground floor, saying he'd spend the night on a shark pelt next to Toothless's sleeping stone. Edelweiss was laid down on the bed. While Serenity worked to bring down her fever, Hiccup shooed the young dragons out of the hut. They looked insulted, but did not protest. They flew up to the roof and landed on top of it. They just sat there in silence, watching the vikings and dragons wander around the outpost. Avalon spotted her father, in his volcano suit, flying up to the top of the volcano. Having nothing else to do, she got up and took off after him. The others were so bored, they didn't really care.

Avalon found Re on the rim of the volcano. She flew down and landed next to him. Re was staring right into the mouth of the volcano, which had no visible bottom. He looked up when Avalon approached him.

"How's Edel doing?" He asked, his voice echoing inside his volcano helmet.

"I don't know, Hiccup won't let us inside his hut," Avalon said gloomily. "She was really sick last I saw her." Re sighed.

"She'll be okay," he said, trying to sound assuring.

"I know she will," said Avalon. "But I hate having to wait outside like a dam animal." She glared down into the volcano, not really seeing it. Re snorted at her attitude.

"I'm sure Hiccup doesn't mean to offend you," he said. "He doesn't want you guys crowding the house."

"And what if she wakes up in the middle of the night and gets lonely?" Avalon wondered aloud.

"You guys will be right outside," said Re. "And Toothless will be right upstairs, there's no reason to worry." Avalon took a deep breath, and the strong smell of sulphur hit her nostrils. She gaged and put her wings over her nose.

"Ewww volcano breath," she said. Re snickered. "How do you stand it?"

"I've been around volcanos enough that I've gotten used to it," Re said. He looked down into the volcano.

"You're not going down there are you?" Avalon asked.

"I sure am," Re said, excitedly. "I want to see if the magma's rising."

"But it's got be over 1,000 degrees down there," said Avalon.

"I'm not staying down there all day," Re said. "I'll come back up when it gets too hot." He looked at Avalon. "You going to be okay up here?"

"Yes," said Avalon. "I'll be fine." Re nodded, then took off and spiraled down into the volcano. When she couldn't see him anymore, she turned around and flew back to the outpost.

She rejoined her friends on Hiccup's roof. They were talking amongst themselves. Avalon landed and sat next to them. They were all worried about their sick friend. They couldn't think of anything to do, and just sat there. They could hear Serenity inside taking care of Edelweiss, and it was the only sound. Avalon went to fetch her jewelry making equipment, then returned and started making gold bands to put on her horns. Black Widow looked in the direction of her rider.

"I hope she'll be okay without us," she said.

"She's been without us before," said Eider.

"But not while she's sick," said Black Widow.

"It's only for one night," said Avalon. "She'll live." Black Widow took several deep breaths and relaxed.

"We can sit outside and sing to her," said Apollo. "So she knows that we're there." Avalon smiled.

"I'm sure she'll like that," she said. "And it'll help her to feel better." She finished decorating one of her gold horn bands with jade stones. She admired it then put it on her left horn, and used her magic to adjust it. Satisfied she got started making another one.

They sat there all day. No one bothered them. When the sun went down and everyone was heading for bed, the young dragons moved from the roof to the porch. Avalon how had a matching set of gold horn bands with jade stones embedded in them. She was very pleased with them. They heard Serenity thanking Hiccup, and saying that she'll probably be in and out a few times during the night. She then left the house with Tenor at her heels. She looked tired but relieved. She and Tenor saw the young dragons as they exited.

"You guys sleeping out here tonight?" Tenor asked.

"We don't want Edel to feel lonely," said Apollo. "She's one of us."

"She's asleep now," said Serenity. "She probably won't feel too lonely for a while." Tenor nuzzled Black Widow, and she returned the gesture.

"Try not to worry about her too much," he whispered. "This will probably happen a lot more in the future."

"I know Daddy," said Black Widow. "And we want to be there for her every time." Tenor smiled proudly. Then Serenity mounted her dragon and headed back to her tent. The four dragons made themselves comfortable and dozed off.

Edelweiss woke up sometime later, she felt worse then she did this morning. She coughed for several minuets which was agonizing for her throat. Her head was hurting so bad that she couldn't get back to sleep. Her head throbbed, she shivered with fever, and she really missed her friends. She turned over, and pulled the blankets tighter around her. She scanned the dark room. There was not a soul in sight. However she could hear Toothless's steady breathing from upstairs. She felt a tiny bit better knowing that she wasn't alone in the house. But she still couldn't get to sleep. She turned over again facing the wall. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to get back to sleep. They just popped back open. She moaned in frustration. She suddenly felt her stomach turning. She turned over again and looked to see what was on her night stand. There was a china pitcher and goblet, both filled with water, there were a few clean rags, and an empty bucket. The turning got worse. Edelweiss quickly sat up, grabbed the bucket, and threw up into it. That too irritated her throat, but she couldn't stop it. She emptied the contents of her stomach and it lasted several minuets.

When finished, Edelweiss put the bucket on the floor. She then drank the water in the goblet to rinse her out her mouth. The water helped sooth her stinging throat. She drained it, then laid back down. She felt exhausted, but she still couldn't fall asleep. She just lay there, wishing her friends could be in there with her. She missed them, even though she'd see them again in the morning. But morning felt so far away. She turned over onto her other side, and tried to ignore the pain in her head. But that only got worse too. Sleep was impossible no matter how hard she tried. She turned over again, and rolled right off the bed. She hit the floor hard, and smacked her head on the night stand. She tried to sit up, but it made her head throb and spin very badly. She gave up and curled into a ball. She sobbed into her knees out of frustration.

A moment later she felt a scaly muzzle nudge her. Edelweiss sniffed and looked up, hoping it was Black Widow. It was only Toothless. He looked down at her, his green eyes concerned.

"You okay Edel?" He whispered.

"No," Edelweiss moaned. "I can't sleep." Toothless pressed his muzzle to her forehead, and it blazed.

"Can you get back up?" He asked.

"No, I've tried," said Edelweiss. "It hurts my head too much." What happened next surprised her. Toothless hoisted himself on to his hind legs. Then he scooped Edelweiss up with his front paws and cradled her against his chest. He waddled forward and gently laid her back on the bed. He grabbed the blanket with his talons and pulled over her, before dropping down all fours again.

"I didn't know you could do that," said Edelweiss, impressed. Toothless smiled modestly.

"Yes well, I used to do it for Hiccup when he was your size," he said. "He would fall out of bed after having a nightmare, or when his leg was hurting him." Edelweiss made herself more comfortable.

"Where are my friends?" She asked softly.

"They're asleep outside," Toothless assured her. "They didn't want you to be alone. You going to be okay now?"

"I think so," said Edelweiss. "But I still can't sleep." Toothless laid down on the floor and rested his big head on the bed beside her. Edelweiss petted him. Even though she was happy he was there; even sweet, goofy Toothless didn't make her miss her friends any less. Nevertheless she smiled at him gratefully, and kept petting his snout.

"Thank you," she said quietly. The Night Fury purred and nuzzled her scaly cheek.

"You feeling better?" He asked. Edelweiss nodded, and was hit with another wave of coughing. She coughed into her pillow for several long minuets, before settling back down.

"Not physically," she wheezed. "But emotionally yes."

"Well, try to get some rest," Toothless said. "You'll get better eventually." Edelweiss closed here eyes. Toothless quietly sang her special lullaby and it was enough to ease her sleep.

When she woke up again she found herself in a hammock, in the clubhouse. Sunlight streamed in through the doorways. Toothless had been replaced by Avalon and the other young dragons. Edelweiss tried to sit up, but it made her head hurt.

"Black Widow?" She said hoarsely. Black Widow woke up and smiled when she saw her friend awake. She got to her feet and rushed to the hammock.

"Edelweiss, my love. How are you feeling?" She asked.

"I still feel sick," said Edelweiss. She hugged her dragon's snout.

"Toothless said you had a rough night," said Black Widow.

"Yes," said Edelweiss. "I couldn't sleep." Black Widow nuzzled her and let out a sad moan.

"I'm so sorry Edel," she said. "We would have come in if Hiccup had let us." Edelweiss stroked her face.

"It's okay Black Widow," she whispered. "Toothless knew what to do." Black Widow smiled. "Where's Mother?" Black Widow looked over at a corner. Edelweiss looked and saw her mother sleeping next to her dragon.

"She's been asleep for as long as you have," Black Widow said.

"How long was I asleep?" Edelweiss asked.

"All night, and all morning," said Black Widow. "It's afternoon." Edelweiss took a deep breath. Black Widow woke the other dragons. They got to their feet, just as happy when they saw Edelweiss awake. She hugged them one at a time. Avalon could still feel that Edel's skin still burned with fever.

"Do you feel any better today?" She asked. Edelweiss laid down.

"Only emotionally," she answered. She shivered and pulled the blanket over her. "I'm cold." The four dragons gathered tighter around her and used their wings to shield her from the chilly air.

"Thanks guys," Edelweiss said weakly. She spotted Hiccup and Astrid flying over the outpost on their dragons. "I wish we could go flying." Avalon glanced out the door.

"We will," said Apollo. "When you're feeling better." Edelweiss rolled over and pulled the blanket over her head. Avalon nuzzled her.

"If you're feeling better by tomorrow we'll take you out," she promised. "You're not going to be sick forever." Apollo glanced out up and spotted his father flying back up towards the volcano.

"Where's Dad going?" He asked.

"He's going back into the volcano," said Avalon. "To see if the magma has gotten any higher."

"Oh I hope it doesn't erupt," said Black Widow, looking down at Edelweiss. She had fallen asleep again. They laid down around the hammock and Black Widow draped a wing over her.

"I don't think it will erupt," said Avalon. "I don't see it happening." Apollo looked back outside, but Re had gone.

"I'm going to see what he knows," he said, getting to his feet.

"Don't go into that volcano," Avalon warned. Apollo nodded and left the clubhouse.

He flew up to the rim where he found Re putting on his volcano suit. Apollo landed next to him, and he looked up.

"Hello Apollo," Re said. "How's Edelweiss doing?"

"She's not very happy," Apollo said. "And she had a rough night last night."

"I heard about that," Re said. "It must be hard without you guys."

"She usually does better when she's not sick in bed," said Apollo. He looked into the volcano. "I hope she gets better before this thing goes off."

"That's what I'm going down to check," Re said. He put on his helmet.

"Can I go with you?" Apollo asked.

"No, it's to dangerous without one of these," Re said, gesturing to his volcano suit. Apollo considered. Then he reached into a pocket of his vest and pulled out two small chalk boards.

"We can communicate with these," he said. "You write something on one and it appears on the other." Re tilted his head.

"Clever," he said. "And very thoughtful. However, the volcano will melt it." Apollo sighed and put the slates away.

"Can I at least wait here?" He asked.

"Very well," Re said. "I'll be back in a little bit." He made sure his suit was secure, then dove into the volcano. Apollo sat down and waited.

Re flew deeper into the volcano. The heat grew more intense the farther he went. I was able to ignore it. He soon reached the magma and landed on a ledge that hung over it. He could defiantly tell that the magma was rising, but rising slowly. It inched closer to his ledge. Suddenly the volcano blasted lava ten feet into the air. It splashed onto Re's volcano suit. The suit kept him from getting burned. He took off and flew back to the surface.

He flew out and landed on the rim. Apollo was still there, and was surprised to see the magma dripping off Re's volcano suit.

"What happened?" He asked. Re took a minuet to catch his breath.

"Nothing I wasn't prepared for," Re said. "But the magma's defiantly rising."

"Should we get out of here?" Apollo asked, alarmed.

"No," Re said calmly. "It could take days for the magma to get all the way up here. No reason to panic yet." Apollo looked in the direction of the clubhouse. "She's fine where she is Apollo." Re took off his helmet and breathed in the fresh air.

"I bet Chris is feeling the heat too," said Apollo, changing the subject slightly.

"Yes," Re said. "That's why I'm being very careful down there. Now, I need to go cool off." Apollo nodded. Re took off and headed for the lake. Apollo headed back to the clubhouse.

Re landed in the shallow end of the lake. The water cooled his suit down, and his scales. He took off the suit and dove deeper into the water. When he resurfaced he spotted Aurora laying leisurely on a boulder, and trailing the tip of her tail through the water.

"What news of the volcano?" She asked.

"The magma's rising," said Re. "But slowly." Aurora looked at him.

"I don't foresee it erupting," she said.

"Maybe not yet," said Re. "But every volcano erupts eventually. It's their nature."

"I suppose," said Aurora. "Do you plan on going into the volcano everyday?" Re considered, glancing up at the volcano.

"Maybe not everyday," he said. "But regularly." She slid down into the water and waded over to him.

"I still remember the last eruption we went through," she said. She sat down in the water and lovingly ran her talon over the faint scar on Re's chest.

"Me too," Re said. "It was terrifying, but I'm pleased with how it all ended." Aurora got back up and stepped as close to him as she could.

"Please be careful down there," she said sadly. "I'm tired of you being brought to the brink of death." Re nuzzled her.

"I know you are," he said. "I promise to be careful." Aurora pressed her face into his chest, and could hear his strong heartbeat. Re wrapped his wings around her and held her there. He could feel his heart beat faster with pleasure.

"I want to be with you forever," said Aurora.

"You will," said Re. "I don't want to be separated from you either. I love you too much." Aurora moved her snout from his chest to his shoulder.

They stayed like that in silence for several minuets. Then Re laid down on his back in the shallow water, and Aurora laid down on top of him. She licked his face. Re relaxed and let her continue.

"Does this mean I can have you all to myself tonight?" Aurora asked sweetly.

"Of course," said Re. "I'm all yours." Aurora smiled and lowered her eyelids. Re smiled back at her.

Back at the clubhouse the four young dragons were scattered around the room, doing various things while Serenity checked on Edelweiss. Avalon was making more jewelry. She was currently making a collar for Eider. It was silver and decorated with Death Song amber. Eider was watching her, and admiring her slender figure at the same time. Avalon was well aware of this, and pretended to not notice. She finished her project.

"What do you think?" She asked holding up the collar. Eider took it and admired it.

"It's really impressive," he said. He slipped it over his head and onto his neck. It magically adjusted to fit him quite comfortably.

"It goes so well with your eyes," said Avalon.

"Thank you," Eider said.

"You're welcome," said Avalon. She got to work making things for the rest of her friends.

Meanwhile, Black Widow was laying beside Edelweiss's hammock. She watched Serenity work silently. Edelweiss stayed asleep the whole time.

"Will she be well enough to go flying tonight?" Black Widow asked.

"I don't know, we'll see," said Serenity. "She'll defiantly be up and about by the time we're ready to head for home." Black Widow sighed with relief. Serenity finished her work. She got up and said that she was heating to lunch. She left with Tenor. Black Widow laid her head down on Edelweiss's chest. Edelweiss opened her eyes half way and stroked Black Widow's face.

"Don't worry my love," Edelweiss whispered. "I'll be okay." Black Widow smiled and nuzzled her neck. Edelweiss hugged her. "Just don't go anywhere."

"We won't," said Black Widow. "We're staying right here." Edelweiss relaxed and went back to sleep.

While Eider and Apollo went out to get food, Avalon sat on the porch of the clubhouse and made more jewelry in silence. Black Widow was still watching Edelweiss. Avalon was making a necklace out of her last few pieces of Death Song amber. She hummed while she worked and watched the other dragons down below. Just then Toothless came around the corner.

"Hi Toothless," said Avalon, without looking up.

"Hello Princess," Toothless said. "How's Edel doing?" Avalon looked into the clubhouse. Edelweiss was still fast asleep.

"She's still sick," she said sadly. "And probably will be for a few days." She turned back to her task. "She'll pull through though."

"What are you making?" Toothless asked.

"I'm using the last of my Death Song amber to make a necklace," said Avalon. "I'll need to fly back to Melody Island and get more. What brings you up here?"

"Hiccup has asked to be left alone," Toothless said solemnly. "It's the anniversary of his father's death." Avalon looked at him with soft eyes.

"I thought he forgave you for that," she said.

"He did, but he still grieves around this time every year," Toothless said.

"I see," said Avalon. "I wish we had met Stoic."

"Aye, he would have liked you," Toothless said. "Course he probably would have given you guys a harder time for chasing sheep around the village then Hiccup did." Avalon lifted a small amber beed and looked at it. She didn't speak for a few minuets.

"I'm not going to lead my friends into trouble again," she said. "It hurts them and it hurts me."

"Good," said Toothless. "You've been doing a great job so far." He sat next to her. Avalon smiled warmly. "So I bet you're excited about being queen."

"Yes," said Avalon.

"It's not as easy as it looks," Toothless said.

"If I was ruling the country alone I'd probably be more nervous," said Avalon. "But I have my friends to help me, and Grandfather to guide us." She picked up another piece of amber. "Ruling alone is not my style at all." She added the piece of amber to the necklace.

"Well, that does make things easier," Toothless said. "But you'll still have to make all the final decisions, and some pretty tough ones too. You may have to decide to leave Edelweiss or one of your other friends behind." Avalon narrowed her eyes.

"No one on my team is getting left behind," she said. "No ones sleeps alone. That's my new motto."

"Well hopefully it won't come to that," Toothless said. "I know you're all very close." Avalon finished making the necklace and set it aside. She crossed her front legs and laid her head down.

"What about you?" She asked. "Have you ever had to leave a friend behind?" Toothless thought for a moment.

"Well, no," he admitted. "And I've never had to make any of those tough decisions. But I've seen Hiccup have to make a few." Avalon took a deep breath. Toothless looked into the clubhouse. Black Widow had dozed off with her head resting on the edge of the hammock. "Why don't we go for a walk, so Edelweiss can rest without so much noise."

"We're not being that loud," said Avalon.

"Being sick amps up the hearing a bit," Toothless said. "And it makes a headache feel worse."

"All right," said Avalon. She got to her feet and stretched. "Black Widow, I'm going to go stretch my legs. Apollo and Eider are on their way back."

"Take all the time you need Avalon," said Black Widow without opening her eyes. "Don't worry about us." Toothless got up and Avalon followed him away from the clubhouse.

They walked through the outpost. Hiccup's hut was shut tight, and no one bothered him. The other riders and dragons were out flying. Avalon and Toothless walked along the coast.

"Did you like living out here?" Avalon asked.

"Yes," said Toothless. "It was really nice to get away from crowded Berk. It was also nice to defend helpless dragons from hunters. Hiccup was talking about finding more dragon hunters and rescuing the dragons they've captured."

"Fun," said Avalon. "Can we help?"

"Well, maybe," said Toothless. "I know you and your friends are restless. But I think Hiccup wants to update his friend's riding outfits first."

"What does he plan to do with all the dragons he rescues?" Avalon asked.

"I'm not sure," said Toothless. "Bring them home to Berk I reckon, since I'm the alpha." Avalon raised her eyebrows.

"I hope he doesn't plan on hoarding them," she said. "It won't be good for the dragons, or the vikings."

"No, I'm sure he won't hoard them," said Toothless. "They'll be able to fly away if they want."

"Okay," said Avalon, letting it slide. "They can always come to Draconia. We have the room." Toothless smiled at her

"Of course," he said. "You said you gave Apollo the title of Rescuer."

"I did," said Avalon. "I have a system all figured out. If we find trapped dragons; Apollo and Eider will land on the decks of the ships, Eider will fight the hunters while Apollo releases the trapped dragons. Black Widow and I will cover them from the air, so they can all get off the ships. Then Black Widow can navigate us back home, and Edelweiss can patch up anyone who gets injured."

"That's a pretty good system," said Toothless. "But you'll have to deal with arial defenses and possible hostile dragons that are bigger and meaner than you."

"Yes," said Avalon. "Well I've haven't really put it to the test."

"Also you may have to think outside of the box at times," Toothless said. "These dragon hunters are not fools."

"I'll take any advice you have," said Avalon. "I want to keep my friends out of bondage, I also want to be a good queen."

"I already know you're going to be a good queen," said Toothless. "You're kind of where I was when I was your age. The leader of a small band of dragons that would die for me, and I them. And that was before I even knew I was going to be alpha." Avalon smiled at him, then sighed.

"I wish there was something we could do for you," she said.

"Well I think there'll be plenty of time when you'll get to do something for me," Toothless said. "You guys can fly, I can't. I might ask you to go rescue Hiccup and get him to safety if I'm ever captured. Or Edelweiss might have to ride me if Hiccup get's captured." Avalon eased up and relaxed.

They spent the rest of the afternoon walking up and down the cliffs. Soon Eider and Apollo returned from hunting, with two huge sheep they'd caught. The sun was starting to set and the adult Draconians returned from their various activities. Toothless walked Avalon back to the clubhouse. Serenity was checking on Edelweiss. She was still asleep, but Serenity woke her up to give her water and medicine. The other dragons were watching silently.

"Is she doing any better?" Avalon asked.

"Not really," said Serenity. "But she hasn't gotten any worse either."

"What's wrong with her?" Black Widow asked.

"It's a bad case of Dragon Flu," said Serenity. "Being half dragon makes her able to get it, and makes it harder for her to fight it."

"Will she die?" Black Widow asked, scared.

"No," said Serenity calmly, as she checked the medicine bottle. "I said it would be harder, but not impossible. She'll get through it. I need to get more herbs, I'm almost out of medicine." Edelweiss opened her eyes.

"Please do go away again Mama," she whispered, gripping her mother's hand. Serenity smiled at her.

"It'll be okay my flower," she said gently. "I'll be back before you wake up again, I promise." Edelweiss took a deep breath. "You're friends are here if you need anything." Black Widow laid back down beside the hammock.

"Can she get out of bed tomorrow?" She asked.

"Maybe," said Serenity. "But don't try to rush anything, I won't make her better any faster." Black Widow nodded. Serenity got to her feet and picked up her bag. "I'll be back in the morning." She left the clubhouse, mounted Tenor, and took off. Avalon looked over at Toothless.

"You can stay in here with us if you want," she said. "Since Hiccup asked to be left alone." Toothless smiled.

"I'll stay for a while," he said. "But I plan to wait outside his door until he's ready to come out. Just so he knows I'm always there for him, especially at a time like this."

"Awww, you are so sweet," Avalon cooed. "It must have been horrible to loose his father like that."

"It was," Toothless said.

"And I know exactly how he feels," said Eider. "Hiccup's really lucky to have his mother still."

"Agreed," said Toothless. He laid down on the other side of the hammock. Edelweiss rolled over in her sleep. Black Widow nuzzled her. Toothless looked at them. They reminded him of how he used to be with Hiccup when he was sick. Avalon must have seen this in his head.

"You'd stay by his side until he got better?" She asked.

"Unless Gothi had Stoic shoo me out so she could examine him," said Toothless.

"Why is Gothi so mean?" Apollo asked, thrashing his tail angrily.

"She's not mean," said Toothless. "I used to think so at the time. But she's actually really nice, she just needs her own space when she works." Apollo relaxed. "Perhaps she can come give Serenity a hand."

"But Gothi hates Edelweiss," said Black Widow. "Due to her being Dragonborn."

"She'd probably be nicer to you guys if you stop calling her a witch," Toothless pointed out. "That's part of the reason she doesn't like you. She doesn't hate Edelweiss enough to kill her however." The dragonets settled down. Black Widow nuzzled her rider again. Edelweiss stayed asleep.

"Serenity doesn't need any help anyway," said Avalon. "She's the best dragon healer ever, and this is an illness she's fixed plenty of times."

"Very well," said Toothless. "I've had Dragon Flu myself, and recovered from it many times." He got to his feet. "Well, I'm off to bed. I'll see you guys tomorrow." He turned and left the clubhouse. The dragonets ate the two sheep, then huddled up around the hammock. Edelweiss rolled onto her other side without waking up. Black Widow nuzzled her scaly cheek.

"I hope she feels better tomorrow," she said.

"We all do," said Eider. Black Widow laid her head down on her front paws and went to sleep.

The next morning Avalon set out for Melody Island for more Death Song amber. The other young dragons stayed around Edelweiss's hammock. She woke up when her friends did, but she still felt sick. She rolled onto her side and saw her friends getting to their feet.

"Morning guys," she sighed. "Where's Mother?"

"She's coming," said Black Widow. "I can hear Daddy's wingbeats." A moment later Tenor landed outside and Serenity dismounted. She came in and set her things on the big table.

"Hi Mama," said Edelweiss weakly.

"You feeling any better?" Serenity asked. Edelweiss was about to answer but was stopped by a fit of harsh coughing. Serenity sat on her stool beside the hammock. She felt Edelweiss's forehead, it still felt hot.

"My throat still stings too," Edelweiss croaked, when she was done coughing. Serenity filled the goblet up with water and handed it to Edelweiss, who drank it.

"It that better?" Serenity asked.

"Yes," said Edelweiss. She handed back the goblet and Serenity refilled it. While Edelweiss drank the water, Serenity went back over to her bag. She pulled out the herbs she'd collected and began making more medicine. Black Widow laid her head on Edelweiss's stomach.

"You think you'll be able to get out of bed?" Black Widow asked. Edelweiss sighed and placed the empty goblet on the night stand.

"I don't know," she said. She made and effort to sit up, but it made her head pound and her stomach turn. She quickly grabbed the bucked by the night stand and threw up into it. Serenity looked up from her work, and the dragons looked over at her. Edelweiss finished a few minuets later and shakily set the bucket on the floor again, and coughed again. Serenity set her herbs down and went back to the hammock.

"You okay?" She asked.

"I think so," said Edelweiss, when she could breathe again. "That really hurts."

"Yeah I bet," said Serenity. She refilled the goblet and handed it to Edelweiss. Then she went back to making medicine. Edelweiss drank the water and it washed the bad taste out of her mouth. Just then Re and Aurora landed outside, followed by Chris and Windwalker.

"How's the volcano today?" Apollo asked.

"The magma's way higher then it was last time I was down there," said Re, looking concerned. "Where's Avalon?"

"She went to Melody Island to get more amber," said Eider. "She'll be back later."

"Is the volcano going to erupt?" Black Widow asked.

"It might," said Aurora. "But I don't see it happening." Black Widow relaxed and placed her head back down.

"I'll keep checking on it though," said Re. "If I think it's about to erupt, we'll leave this place early."

"Edelweiss can't ride though," said Apollo. "She can't even get out of bed."

"I know," said Re gently. "That's why we're waiting."

"Has Hiccup come out of his house?" Eider asked.

"Yes," said Aurora. "He plans to have everyone meet here later tonight, and discuss the volcano." Black Widow looked at Edelweiss, who was falling asleep again. "Don't worry Black Widow, nothing bad's going to happen to her." Black Widow nodded. Serenity finished making her medicine and put into the empty bottles. She went back and sat beside the hammock. She poured the medicine into her ivory shot glass.

"Here, drink this," she said. Edelweiss took the shot glass and drank the medicine without complaint. Then drank another goblet full of water.

"Thanks Mama," Edelweiss whispered sleepily.

"You can go back to sleep now," said Serenity. Edelweiss closed her eyes at once.

"Don't go anywhere Mama," she said, grasping her mother's hand.

"I won't," said Serenity. "I'm staying here." Edelweiss went back to sleep. Serenity put the medicine bottle onto the night stand. She got to her feet and went back over to the table. She cleaned up the rest of her herbs and put them into her bag.

"What does that medicine actually do?" Apollo asked.

"It helps her sleep," said Serenity. "So her body can fight the illness better."

"How long will she stay asleep?" Eider asked.

"A few hours," said Serenity. She put her bag on the floor near the hammock.

Later that day Avalon returned with four huge baskets of Death Song amber. She landed next to the arena and set her burden down. She took a few minuets to catch her breath while she admired her work. Then she picked it back up and flew to the clubhouse. She set the baskets down on the porch. Her friends were wide awake, including Edelweiss. She walked in, smiling.

"Hi Avalon," said Apollo happily. "That's a lot of Death Song amber."

"Garf insisted I take all these scraps," said Avalon. She laid down beside her brother. "How are you feeling Edelweiss?"

"Ok I think," said Edelweiss. "I'm deciding weather or not to get out of bed."

"You sure?" Avalon asked. They all watched as Edelweiss slowly sat up, grimacing. She swung her legs over the side of the hammock and placed her feet on the floor. The dragons got to their feet, ready to catch her if she fell. Edelweiss looked down at her bare feet for a long time, the white scales on her calves glittered in the daylight. Then she pushed herself up, leaning on Black Widow for support. She stood on her feet for a few seconds. She looked really unstable and dizzy. Suddenly her knees gave way and Black Widow quickly caught her before she hit the ground.

"You okay?" Black Widow asked.

"No," Edelweiss panted. The other dragons came over and helped her sit back down on the edge of the hammock. A cold wind blew through the clubhouse and made her shiver. She laid back down and pulled the blanket over her. Avalon used her magic to close the doors.

"Is that better?" She asked.

"Yes, thank you," said Edelweiss, calming down.

"Hey you stood on your feet," said Eider cheerfully. "That's progress." Edelweiss smiled at him.

"I'll try again later," she said. Avalon laid back down beside the baskets of amber, the others followed suit. Edelweiss dozed off, with Black Widow watching her.

"Have you told your parents that you plan to mate with her?" Avalon asked.

"I told my dad," said Black Widow. "He was the easiest one tell."

"My conditions still stand," said Avalon. "If you want to mate with here, you have to tell your parents."

"What if they take her away from me?" Black Widow asked.

"They won't," said Avalon.

"Can you foresee what their reactions will be?" Black Widow asked her. Avalon stared into space for a moment.

"They will be surprised," she said. "They will accept it, but they will not get super excited about it." Black Widow nodded.

"Thanks," she said. She laid her head down on Edelweiss's chest. "They're having a meeting in here about the volcano later."

"Yes I know," said Avalon.

"Do you think we'll be going home?" Apollo asked.

"I don't think so," said Eider. "Edelweiss can't ride. Why do you want to go home?" Apollo considered.

"I am starting to miss home," he admitted. "But I can endure it until Edelweiss is better." He smiled warmly. Suddenly he felt the ground shake subtly. He tensed and clutched the ground with his talons. "Did you feel that?" The dragons froze. The ground shook again.

"The ground's shaking," said Black Widow. "But why?" Avalon got up and stuck her head out of the closest door. She saw a thin trail of smoke coming out of the volcano.

"They volcano's waking up," she said. "It's getting restless." Edelweiss woke up again.

"Oh, please don't erupt," she moaned. Avalon closed the doors and sat back down. The ground shook again, Edelweiss felt her hammock swaying back and forth. It made her nervous.

"Should we go find our folks?" Apollo asked.

"No, they'll come here," said Avalon. "We're right where we need to be." The ground shook again, a bit more violently. Edelweiss whimpered and clutched the sides of the hammock as it rocked back and forth. The movement made her stomach turn again. Luckily there was nothing left for her to throw up. Black Widow clamped the hammock in her jaws and held it still. The ground stopped shaking and things quieted down.

"We're okay," said Avalon, sounding reassuring. Edelweiss laid back down and closed her eyes.

"I hope we don't have to abandon her when that thing goes off," said Eider.

"No, we'll carry her if we have to," said Avalon. Black Widow nuzzled Edelweiss's face.

"Toothless picked me up in his front paws that first night," Edelweiss said. "It was really cool."

"I heard that," said Avalon. "Pretty impressive. I'm sure Windwalker can do it too." She glanced in the direction of the volcano. "If this thing makes us bail, we'll have one of them carry you out of here." They settled down and waited for the others to come.

As the sun set in the west the riders and dragons gathered at the clubhouse. The ground kept shaking on and off. They entered the clubhouse. Edelweiss and the dragonets looked up when they entered. Edelweiss was trembling slightly, looking very afraid. Re was the last one to arrive, still in his volcano suit.

"Is the volcano erupting?" Apollo asked.

"Not yet," said Re. "But It's getting close."

"I vote we get out of here," said Snotlout. "We can clear out in about a second."

"We may have to," said Re. "This volcano can get really violent."

"Edelweiss can't ride," said Avalon. "She can barely stand." They all looked at Edelweiss. She had pulled the blanket over her head again. Serenity sat next to the hammock. Edelweiss coughed.

"Wait it hasn't even done anything yet," said Hiccup. "And we've fought this volcano before. We can do it again."

"And what about the dragons who live here," said Fishelgs. "They'll be defenseless if we leave."

"Dragons have been facing volcanic eruptions far longer than humans have," said Aurora. "They're not as vulnerable as you think Fishlegs."

"Volcanoes are dragons too," said Apollo.

"Anyway, if this thing goes off, we'll do what we can to keep it away from the outpost," said Hiccup. "If we have to, we'll leave and Edelweiss can double up with one of us." Black Widow nuzzled Edelweiss again.

"We should get some rest," said Re. "We'll need all the energy we can get if you plan to fight this volcano."

"I could use some peace and quiet," said Edelweiss from under the blanket.

"What are the chances of the volcano erupting tonight?" Astrid asked.

"Hard to say," said Re. "About fifty fifty. Which is way you should get some shut eye while you can." They all nodded in agreement. Then they left the clubhouse, except for Edelweiss and the four young dragons. They gathered around the hammock and went to sleep.

They were woken up by loud rumbles coming from under the ground. They sat up quickly. Avalon and Apollo ran outside. Huge clouds of smoke rose out of the volcano. The rumbling grew louder and louder.

"It's going to blow!" Apollo cried. No sooner had he said that, then the ground shook violently. Edelweiss screamed as the hammock was tossed about about. The ropes snapped and the hammock thudded to the ground. Black Widow curled around her. All around the riders and dragons ran out of their huts, stumbling as the ground shook again. Rocks rooked down the hill, but didn't hit anything. Everyone minus Edelweiss and Black Widow gathered in the arena.

"Okay we've done this before, we need as much Death Song amber and Gronkle Iron as we can get," said Hiccup.

"Avalon came back with a huge supply of Death Song amber," said Apollo. Avalon took a deep breath.

"You think we can use your supply Avalon?" Hiccup asked. "We'll get more for you."

"All right," said Avalon. "It's in the clubhouse."

"I'll go get it," said Hiccup. "The rest of you help Fishlegs with the Gronkle Iron." He got on Toothless. They all took off and split up.

Hiccup flew Toothless back up to the clubhouse. They landed and quickly found the baskets of Death Song amber. Hiccup spotted Black Widow still curled around Edelweiss, who was still on the floor.

"Black Widow we could really use your help," Hiccup said. Black Widow sat up, looking nervous.

"I can't leave her," she said, looking at her rider.

"You can fly her down to the lake, she'll be safer there," said Hiccup. "Then com back and help." Black Widow hesitated. Hiccup attached the baskets of amber to Toothless's saddle.

"Come on we're running out of time," Toothless said. The ground shook again. Black Widow wrapped all four legs around Edelweiss then followed Hiccup and Toothless out of the clubhouse.

Black Widow turned and headed for the lake. She landed next to the shore and set Edelweiss down, propping her against a fallen tree. Edelweiss woke up as she turned to go.

"Black Widow, where are you going?" She cried. "Don't leave me here." Black Widow turned and nuzzled her.

"We will come back for you," she said. "I promise." She stepped back, spread her wings, and took off. Edelweiss called after her, begging her to come back. But Black Widow kept flying until she was out of sight. Edelweiss laid down on the grass and sobbed into her knees.

Black Widow met up with the others at the Twins' old boar pit. She felt horrible for leaving her rider there. But the other riders and dragons needed her help and she didn't want to waste time stalling. She hurried over to the boar pit as her friends arrived with wild Gronkles and large boulders. The others had gathered large cauldrons to carry the Gronkle Iron-Death Song amber mix to the volcanic vents. By now the lava was spilling out of the volcano and sliding down the hill. Ash started to fall heavily.

"Did you guys find the right rocks for Gronkle Iron?" Fishlegs urgently asked the young dragons.

"All I could was bauxite," said Apollo nervously, holding up the pile of rocks he'd brought back.

"Bauxite!" Fishlegs screamed angrily. "There is no bauxite in Gronkle Iron! You're as big a muttonhead as the Twins." Apollo looked hurt and dropped the rocks.

"Don't yell at him Fishlegs," Avalon snarled. "This is our first time fighting an erupting volcano." Ruff and Tuff both put an arm around Apollo.

"Welcome to the muttonhead club Apollo," said Tuffnut encouragingly, giving Apollo an affectionate punch on the shoulder.

"We get called muttonheads all the time," said Ruffnut with a sneer. "You'll get used to it after a while."

"Guys lets socialize later," said Hiccup. They quickly got to work filling the boar pit with Death Song amber and Gronkle Iron. Apollo stay well away from Fishlegs.

When the mixture was ready, the fill up with cauldrons with it. Then they took off and headed over the island. The found the smaller volcanic vents that were spewing out lava. They dumped the mixture over the vents, blocking the lava flow. Every time they ran out they went back to the boar pit and refilled. It went very smoothly, despite the heavy ash fall. The dragons' lungs were built to filter out the ash and toxic fumes that came from the volcano, but the riders were starting to choke on it.

"Why don't we get you guys out of the ash fall," Re said, loudly to be heard of the volcano. "We can come back and finish this off."

"I can see a sea stack that's well out of the way," said Aurora.

"We're almost done," said Hiccup. "There's about three of these left, then we'll all go to the sea stack." They didn't argue and refocused of the vents.

Soon all the vents were blocked. The lava flow slowed, but the ash was still coming down heavy. The riders all gathered back in the arena. The riders were coughing on the ash.

"Are we all here?" Hiccup asked.

"Edelweiss is still by the lake," said Avalon.

"We'll get her," said Chris. He flew Windwalker out of the arena and over to the lake.

They found Edelweiss laying under an overhanging boulder. She was coughing so much the she couldn't fall asleep. Windwalker landed and Chris dismounted. He went over and knelt beside Edelweiss. He felt her forehead, and it still felt very hot.

"Edel?" he said. Edelweiss looked up at him.

"Daddy," she said, relieved.

"Would you like to get out of here?" Chris asked. Edelweiss nodded. Chris helped her to her feet. She leaned very heavily on him. Windwalker went up to them and laid down. Chris helped Edelweiss onto her saddle, then got on in front of her. Windwalker took off and flew away from the volcano. Edelweiss laid her aching head on Chris's shoulder and closed her eyes. She dozed off as they cleared the ash fall.

They soon landed on the large sea stack where everyone was gathered. Chris dismounted and Edelweiss laid down on Windwalker's back. Serenity came over, carrying her bag.

"How is she?" She asked.

"She's really hot still," Chris said, sounding concerned. Serenity felt her daughter's forehead.

"Hi Mama," Edelweiss said softly.

"How are you feeling?" Serenity asked in her honey sweet voice.

"So tired," said Edelweiss. "And a bit cold. It was warmer near the volcano."

"Volcanoes are very warm," Serenity agreed. "You think you can get down?" Edelweiss considered. She pushed herself up, grimacing when her head hurt. She then slid down from Windwalker's saddle and hit the ground. She leaned on Windwalker's shoulder.

"Thanks for coming back for me," she said.

"You're welcome," said Windwalker. "We weren't going to leave you to the mercy of the volcano." Edelweiss coughed.

"Can I lay down?" She asked. Windwalker and Serenity guided her over to her friends and laid her down. Black Widow nuzzled her.

"Careful Black Widow," said Windwalker.

"I'm sorry I had to leave you there Edel," said Black Widow. "I didn't want to, but I had to help stop the lava flow." Edelweiss hugged her snout.

"It's okay Black Widow," she said. "I'm no use like this anyway."

While Serenity attended to Edelweiss, the others gathered around a campfire that Aurora lit. They watched the volcano in the distance. They could hear it erupting even from where they were.

"Thanks for your help guys," Hiccup said.

"You're welcome," said Aurora. "I'm glad no one got hurt."

"And I'm glad it was only a lava flow and not a pyroclastic flow," said Re. "Those are way worse."

"What's that?" Fishlegs asked.

"It's a huge wall of hot volcanic ash and gases," Re said. "They move faster than most dragons, they can be more devastating then a lava flow."

"You've seen one?" Hiccup asked.

"Thankfully no," said Re. "But I've seen illustrations of them."

"What's so dangerous about them?" Astrid asked. "It's just ash." Re narrowed his eyes.

"Volcanic ash is not like the ash from a campfire," he said. "It's made up of small particles of rock. If you breathe it in, it mixes with the water in your system and makes a thick sludge. It suffocates you. Not to mention it's very hot and moves very fast. If a pyroclastic flow ever hit a town the size of Berk, it would be ripped to pieces." They all swallowed nervously. Re smiled. "I won't worry though. You guys will probably never see a pyroclastic flow in your life. They only with really big eruptions, way bigger then that." He gestured towards the Edge. Hiccup looked back at the volcano.

"You think it will be finished by morning?" He asked.

"Probably," said Re. "Depends on how much magma it has in its system." He yawned. "I guess we'll find out in the morning." He laid his head down and closed his eyes. The riders settled down next to their respective dragons and fell asleep as well. The volcano raged on.

They woke up the next morning. The volcano had quieted down and the ash cloud had thinned out. The riders and dragons got to their feet and stretched. Serenity checked on Edelweiss again, and was pleased to discover that her fever had finally gone down.

"You feeling better?" Serenity asked.

"Yes, much better," said Edelweiss happily. "I think I can eat something now." Serenity went over to Tenor and pulled out strips of yak jerky. She handed it to Edelweiss, how ate it. She sat up and watched the other riders saddle up their dragons. Fishlegs turned to Re.

"So volcanic eruptions can get bigger than that?" He asked.

"Way bigger," said Re.

"What would the biggest eruption ever look like?" Fishlegs asked. Re thought a moment.

"It's what's known as a super eruption," he said. "They are very rare, but effect the whole world when they happen. Comparing last night's eruption to a super eruption would be like comparing a Terrible Terror to a Red Death."

"Could that volcano cause such an eruption?" Fishlegs asked. Re snorted skeptically.

"That tiny little thing?" He said. "It doesn't have the guts to to launch a super eruption. They can only be launched by a super volcano. Most volcanoes are just one mountain, super volcanoes are a ring of mountains several miles across. You could walk right into one and not even know it." Fishlegs looked really nervous. "I wouldn't worry Fishlegs. Like I said they're very rare, probably the rarest of any volcanic eruption."

"How do you know all this?" Astrid asked.

"I've read lost of books on volcanoes," Re said. "Spent a life time studying them. It gave me nightmares when I first read about super eruptions, they were far scarier then any ghost story."

"Well lets go see what this volcano has done," said Hiccup, mounting Toothless. The riders all go onto their dragons, Edelweiss got on Tenor behind her mother, since she still didn't feel well enough to ride on her own. They took off and headed back to the island.

They flew over it assessing the damage. Most of the lava had cooled and hardened. The volcano itself still had a trail of smoke rising out of it. The magma still filled the crater, but it wasn't high enough to spill over. A few of the trees had burned, but the out post was undamaged. The dragons landed in the clubhouse and the riders dismounted. Aurora used her magic to repair the hammock. Edelweiss got off Tenor, and he helped her over to the hammock and laid down in it.

"Thank you," she said.

"I'm glad you're feeling better," he said. He stepped aside so the younger dragons could lay down around the hammock.

As the riders fed themselves breakfast, Fishlegs looked over at Apollo. The red dragonet was looking a bit guilty.

"Hey, I'm sorry I yelled at you Apollo," Fishlegs said, tossing Apollo a fish.

"It's okay Fishlegs," said Apollo quietly. "I'm sorry I messed up." He ate the fish. He then laid his head down on his front talons. Edelweiss made herself comfortable in her hammock, happy that she was feeling better and that all her friends and family were safe.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The moon was rising over the ocean. Tenor woke up when the silver light flooded his cave. He saw up and yawned. He looked out at the moon, it was one night away from being full. He turned to his attention to his mate who was still asleep. He nuzzled her neck.

"Hey, wake up the full moon is out," he said excitedly. "Perfect night for a hunt." Windwalker stirred and opened her eyes.

"I'm not up to hunting tonight," she said sleepily. Tenor looked concerned.

"But you love hunting under the moon," he said. "Are you okay?" Windwalker leaned into him.

"I'm just really tired," she said. "You can go if you want. I'm sure Black Widow would love to go with you." Tenor didn't move and she saw the worried look on his face. "It's okay, I'll join you later." She nuzzled his snout. Tenor returned the gesture.

"If you're sure," he said. He got up and stretched. Windwalker watched him leave the cave and fly away. She laid back down and went back to sleep, trying to ignore the stabbing pain in her stomach.

Tenor flew over the quiet outpost and landed in the arena. Black Widow was fast asleep in a huddle with her friends. Edelweiss had finally recovered from her illness. Tenor approached Black Widow and roused her. She opened her eyes and sat up.

"Hi Daddy," she said. She nuzzled him.

"You ready to go hunting?" Tenor asked. Black Widow got to her feet and stretched.

"Where's Mother?" she asked.

"She's sleeping in," Tenor said. "She'll join us later." Black Widow became alert and ran out of the arena. Tenor called after her, but she ignored him. She took off and headed for the cave.

She landed outside it and walked in. Windwalker was still sleeping. Black Widow approached her and gently nudged her.

"Mama?" said Black Widow concerned. "Are you okay Mama?" Windwalker stirred and opened her eyes.

"I'm fine Black Widow really," she said. "It's just a bit too early for me." Tenor landed outside and came in.

"Come on Black Widow, she'll join us when she can," he said. Black Widow hesitated. Windwalker nudged the younger dragon towards the door.

"Go on, it's okay," she said. "I'll be right behind you." Black Widow reluctantly went over to Tenor. They left the cave. They flew off and headed over the forest. Black Widow turned her attention towards hunting.

They landed in the forest and looked for boars. They both split up and let their predatory instincts take over. Black Widow soon picked up on the smell of boars. She followed it to a clearing with a small pond in it. There was a large herd of boars gathered there. A moment later Tenor joined her.

"Thats a lot of boars," he said.

"Can we take the whole herd?" Black Widow asked.

"No, we should leave some for the other dragons to hunt," said Tenor. "We'll each take one down. I'll herd them towards you, wait here." He slunk off into the shadows. Black Widow climbed the nearest tree and rested on a low branch, out of sight. She waited, ready to pounce at any moment. The boars were suddenly spooked and stampeded towards the tree. Black Widow fixed her eyes on the largest boar. When it was in range she jumped off the branch and tackled it, digging her claws into its flesh. It thrashed around violently, squealing. Black Widow held it firm and bit its neck. The boar died instantly. The rest of the boars ran at her from all sides. Tenor came out of no where and shot his purple flames at them. He then pulled down another large boar, as the herd ran off. They took a moment to catch their breath.

"That was fun," Black Widow said. She turned her attention to her kill. She used her fire to burn the boar's skin away. Tenor did the same.

They carried the boars back to the cave. Windwalker was still asleep. Black Widow carried her boar inside and set it down. She nudged her mother again.

"Are you feeling better Mother?" She asked.

"I'm starting to," said Windwalker. "I'll be okay." Black Widow nudged her boar towards Windwalker. The Night Fury looked at the boar, but didn't eat it. "No thanks, I'll catch my own." She rolled so her feet were under her, then slowly stood up. Black Widow beamed and nuzzled her mother's neck. Windwalker nuzzled her back. "See nothing to worry about." She said soothingly. She walked out of the cave where Tenor was waiting. He smiled when he saw her.

"You gave poor Black Widow a bit of a fright," he said.

"I know, I wasn't meaning to," said Windwalker. She glanced back into the cave as Black Widow came out to join them.

"Do you think that by the time we get home, we'll be in time for the Dragon River Salmon Run?" Black Widow asked.

"I hope so," said Tenor. "I'd hate to miss it."

"Lets get going before the moon sets," said Windwalker. The three nightly dragons took off and headed over the sea to look for fish.

They soon found a large school of tuna that were snacking on a school of sardines. The dragons took full advantage and dove for the sardines. Tenor noticed that every time Windwalker swallowed a fish, she flinched as though it hurt. She didn't seem phased by it at all however, and kept going after the fish. They were soon joined by huge swarms of sea birds. Tenor took a break from catching the fish and hunted the sea birds. He would catch one then quickly fly it back to the cave. Black Widow and Windwalker didn't bother with the sea birds and only ate the fish. Windwalker didn't eat as much fish as she normally would have. Every time she ate a fish, it made her stomach hurt real bad. She didn't know why, she didn't feel sick at all. She tried to ignore it and kept going after the fish.

Soon all the sardines were eaten. The three dragons caught two tuna each before heading back to their cave. They out the tuna with the boars and sea birds to save for later. By now the moon was starting to go down and dawn was approaching. Windwalker went to the back of the cave and laid down, the pain in her stomach was still there.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Tenor asked. "You look like you're in pain."

"My stomach hurts," said Windwalker. "I think I ate too much."

"But I ate way more then you," said Black Widow. "And I feel fine." Windwalker laid her head down.

"I'm going to see if it goes away on its own," she said. Tenor and Black Widow looked at each other. She saw the worried look on their faces. "Give me one day. If it still hurts, then you can worry."

"Okay," said Tenor, cautiously. "But don't keep it to yourself it gets worse." Windwalker just nodded and closed her eyes. Tenor laid beside her and put a wing over her. Black Widow looked undecided about what she wanted to do.

"I'm going back to my friends," she said after a few minuets.

"All right, I'll call you if we need you," said Tenor. Black Widow left the cave and flew off.

She flew back to the arena. Her friends were still asleep. She laid beside them. She looked down at Edelweiss, who was curled up in the middle of the huddle. The moonlight made her white scales sparkle like snowflakes. Black Widow reached out and touched her face, being careful not wake her. Then she made herself comfortable and dozed off.

When the morning came the dragonets woke up one by one. They untangled themselves and got to their feet. Edelweiss rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"How was your hunt last night?" Avalon asked Black Widow.

"It was really fun," said Black Widow. "There was a lot of fish out there. However Mother didn't eat very much of it."

"Maybe she caught my dragon flu," said Edelweiss.

"She says she's fine," said Black Widow. "Hopefully that's true."

"If she's not Serenity can fix her," said Apollo. Black Widow took several deep breaths and relaxed.

"So what are we going to do today?" Edelweiss asked. "We're all heading home in a week." They considered.

"Well I've lost interest in making jewelry," said Avalon sadly.

"Already?" Eider asked, shocked.

"I'm getting kind of tired of making things just for myself," said Avalon. "Since no one will let me make things for them." She scowled and sat down heavily on her haunches. The dragonets looked at each other.

"I'd still like to try my enchantment that allows you guys to turn human," said Apollo. "But you guys won't say yes to that either."

"I still kind of want to know what you guys look like as humans," said Edelweiss. "What do you have to loose?" There was a short pause.

"All right," said Eider. "You can give it a try." Both Apollo and Avalon cheered up.

"I'll get right to work," said Avalon. She spread her wings and flew up to the clubhouse where her supplies was. She grabbed it and flew out to the cliffs.

She landed on the grass and set her things down. She combed through it and began making four items that her friends could wear. She watched Eider and Apollo head out to find food. The other riders and dragons were wandering around. Tenor and Windwalker eventually came out of their cave. Avalon could hear Windwalker's thoughts and it sounded like she was still in pain, though not as much as she had been last night. They landed on the cliff.

"Are you okay Windwalker?" Avalon asked. "Black Widow said you didn't eat very much last night."

"I'm okay now," said Windwalker. "It was just a stomach ache."

"How are you Avalon?" Tenor asked. "What are you making?"

"My friends have finally let me make them something," said Avalon. "So I'm working on those."

"Why do want to make things for them so badly?" Windwalker asked.

"I'm getting tired of just making things for myself," said Avalon.

"That's understandable," said Tenor. "But you shouldn't force them take something they don't really want." Avalon paused in her work and sighed.

"I don't know what else to do," she said, frustrated. "No one will accept a gift from me, and I can't think of anything else to do for them. They don't need rescuing from anything, no one's injured or sick. I'll never be a great queen at this rate."

"You don't have to be a great queen," said Windwalker. "Just a good queen. That'll be plenty." Avalon released a breath she didn't realize she was holding. Tenor sat on his haunches.

"I'm pretty sure your friends are perfectly happy the way they are without gold," he said. "We all are."

"I know," said Avalon. "But it's what I love doing, aside from practicing magic." She went back to her work. At that moment Black Widow joined them with Edelweiss on her back. Black Widow beamed when she saw Windwalker up and about.

"Mother you're feeling better," she said happily.

"I told you there was nothing to worry about," said Windwalker. "I'm just fine." She nuzzled Black Widow reassuringly. Edelweiss looked over at Avalon.

"How are those coming?" She asked.

"Great," said Avalon. "I should be finished by this evening."

"I hope she didn't pressure you into letting her make things for you," said Windwalker.

"It's okay Mother," said Black Widow. "We're only allowing it this one time." Edelweiss dismounted and sat next to Avalon. "Hopefully someone asks her make something for them." Suddenly Avalon glanced up as though something had caught her attention. She looked strait ahead, her eyes wide.

"You see something Avalon?" Edelweiss asked. They all looked at her.

"I see the moon," Avalon said. "It's turning red." Tenor suddenly looked excited.

"A lunar eclipse," he said. "And tonight's the full moon." Windwalker looked at him, interested.

"Is that where the sun goes dark?" Black Widow asked.

"No, that's a solar eclipse," said Tenor. "A lunar eclipse is where the moon passes through the Earth's shadow. They're slightly more common then a solar eclipse."

"Cool," said Avalon, coming back to Earth. "I've never seen a red moon before."

"Neither have I," said Tenor. "There are two things in this world that I've always wanted to see; a red moon and a black sun."

"We should stay up tonight and watch it," said Edelweiss.

"Certainly," said Tenor. "I've always had this fantasy about hatching during an eclipse, but I hatched under a regular full moon."

"So did I," said Black Widow.

"Me too," said Windwalker. "There's no shame in that."

"I know," said Tenor. "Just seeing an eclipse is good enough for me." Windwalker nuzzled him.

"What are you going to do when a solar eclipse is about to happen?" She asked.

"I don't know," Tenor said. "Something special." He took a deep breath. "Well I'm going to let the others know about the lunar eclipse." He took off and headed for the outpost. Windwalker watched him go. Avalon turned her attention to her work.

"I'm going to go eat something," said Windwalker. "I got my appetite back." Black Widow nodded. Windwalker flew off and headed for the cave.

She landed outside and walked into the cave. She went over to the pile of prey in the corner and picked up one of the boars. She started eating it, but every time she swallowed a chunk of meat it made her stomach hurt so bad. She tried to ignore it, but it was getting too painful. Even after a few bites her stomach hurt so much that she couldn't finish the boar. She put it back with the other prey. She laid down hoping the pain would go away again. It didn't, it still felt like something with sharp teeth was gnawing at her gut. She curled into a ball, her whole body tense with pain. It felt like an eternity before the pain went away. By the time it did, she felt so exhausted that she fell asleep.

The next thing she knew, someone was nudging her. She opened her eyes to see Tenor standing over her. It was getting dark outside.

"Hey, you okay?" Tenor asked. "Black Widow said you were only getting something to eat, then she didn't see you again." Windwalker sat up. Her stomach still hurt, but it was bearable now.

"I'm okay now," she said. Tenor looked over at the food, it was barely touched. The boar she'd eaten still only had a few bites taken out of it.

"You didn't eat very much," he said. Windwalker got to her feet.

"I'm okay Tenor, really," she assured him, nuzzling his neck. "I didn't want to miss the eclipse, and took a nap so I could be wide awake for it. When does it start?"

"Soon," said Tenor. "We're all flying to the top of the mountain to watch it."

"I'll follow you," said Windwalker. Tenor turned and left the cave, and she followed him.

They headed for the arena where the others had gathered. They were talking excitedly about the coming eclipse. Tenor and Windwalker went over to their respective riders. Chris smiled when his dragon came up to him.

"Hey Windwalker, I haven't seen you all day," he said, stroking her neck.

"I am nocturnal," Windwalker pointed out. "And I didn't want to miss the moon turning red."

"That's true," said Chris. He picked up his saddle and put it on her back. He noticed Windwalker flinch when he pulled the straps tight. "I'm sorry is that too tight?"

"No," said Windwalker, relaxing. "The leather's just a bit cold." Chris examined the straps.

"Actually these feel loose," he said. "I have them at their usual settings, that's strange."

"Maybe she took a deep breath when you put the saddle on," said Serenity, who was tightening the straps of Tenor's saddle. "Horses do that when their saddles are put on."

"But she's never done that before," said Chris.

"Tenor does it sometimes, and doesn't realize it," said Serenity.

"It's true," Tenor agreed. "I don't do it all the time." Chris tightened the straps.

"Lets get to the mountain and see this eclipse," said Windwalker. "I don't want to miss it." The riders all mounted their dragons and headed up to the top of the volcano.

The sun soon vanished and the moon came out. Tenor watched it while the others set up a bonfire. Windwalker laid next to him. She looked up at the moon, it was still as pale as ever.

"What exactly are you looking for?" She asked.

"I'm watching for the right side of the moon to start turning red," Tenor said. "A lunar eclipse is usually longer and slower then a solar eclipse. So we could be here all night."

"So we wait," said Windwalker.

"We wait," Tenor agreed.

And wait they did. Many of the riders and dragons dozed off. Tenor kept his eyes fixed on the moon, reminding himself to wake the others when the eclipse started. Windwalker suddenly coughed. Tenor looked down at her.

"I hope you didn't catch the flu from Edelweiss," he said.

"Me too," said Windwalker. "But I don't feel bad at all." She laid her head on his shoulder. Tenor looked back up at the moon. It was still silver.

"So how's this eclipse thing supposed to work? Astrid asked.

"The moon crosses into the Earth's shadow," said Tenor. "Eclipses only happen when the sun, Earth, and moon are in perfect alignment."

"The Earth has a shadow?" Fishlegs asked.

"Well yeah," said Tenor. "Anything that goes in front of the sun is going to cast a shadow, the Earth is no exception."

"You say the Earth's shadow is big enough to cover the whole moon?" Hiccup asked. Tenor nodded.

"For a few hours too," he said.

"But the moon is so big," said Fishlegs. Tenor looked at him confused.

"They think the Earth is flat," said Aurora.

"Right," said Tenor, with realization.

"Isn't it though?" Astrid asked. Tenor looked over at Aurora, who nodded.

"No, it's round," Tenor said. "Like the moon is."

"How do you know?" Snotlout asked.

"Dragons have been on this Earth longer then humans have," said Tenor. "And therefore have seen a lot more of it then you have. The Earth has no edge, and no corners."

"Then how come it looks flat?" Fishlegs asked.

"Because you're standing on it," said Tenor. "If you fly high enough on your dragons you can start to see the bend in the Earth." He glanced up at the moon again, and this time the right side of it had a red tinge to it. "Oh, it's starting." They all looked up at the moon, and stopped talking at once.

They silently watched the moon very slowly slip into the Earth's shadow. It took about an hour before the moon turned a rusty orange red color. The usual silver moonlight was now all dingy.

"Wow I love that color," said Avalon. "Almost looks like the moon got encased in Death Song amber." She got to the feet. Then she took off and flew closer to the moon. The other dragonets got up, Edelweiss mounted Apollo, and they joined her. The riders got up and mounted their dragons again. They all took off and flew high over the ocean, in the dim light of eclipse. The other wild dragons on the island were also up and about, including the Night Terrors.

Windwalker flew among the dragons until she started feeling tired again. Which confused her, since she'd slept a good chunk of the day. At first she thought it was because of the lack of moonlight, but none of the other nightly dragons showed signs of exhaustion. Chris was quick to notice.

"You sure you're okay?" He asked, stroking her neck.

"I'm not sure," Windwalker admitted. She headed back to the outpost and landed. Chris dismounted.

"You're starting to worry me Windwalker," he said. "Serenity should check on you, make sure nothing's wrong."

"All right," said Windwalker. "But after the eclipse." She laid down on the grass and Chris sat next to her. She could feel the pain in her stomach increase, but she was able to ignore it. She looked up at the red moon again. The others were still flying in front of it.

An hour later the moon started to turn back to silver. The group returned to the outpost. Serenity and Tenor landed on the cliff and Serenity dismounted.

"That was so cool," she said, with wonder.

"Right," Tenor agreed. "So worth staying up for." Just then Chris came up to them with Windwalker following him.

"Hey Serenity, can you look at Windwalker?" Chris asked. "I get the feeling something's wrong." Serenity instantly looked concerned. She went over to Windwalker, carrying her bag.

"You feeling okay Windwalker?" She asked.

"Just really tired, even after sleeping all day," said Windwalker. Serenity pulled out her stethoscope and used it to listen to Windwalker's heart and lungs.

"You're breathing kind of heavy," she said. She lowered the stethoscope and ran her hands along Windwalker's body. "You feel a bit thin too." Both Chris and Tenor were waiting anxiously. "I think with food and rest everything should be fine. But let me know if things get worse." She patted Windwalker's neck.

"Thanks Serenity," Chris said. Serenity smiled at him. They all looked up at the moon which was still coming out of the Earth's shadow.

"Why don't we all get some rest," Serenity suggested.

"Good idea," said Windwalker. She yawned and went to stand beside Tenor. The two of them took off and headed back to their cave.

They landed outside it and walked in. Windwalker looked over at the pile of food, but her stomach hurt just looking at it. Tenor went to the corner and laid down. Windwalker plucked out a sea gull and laid beside him. She burned off the feathers then ate it. Again when it hit her stomach, it caused a tsunami of pain. She moaned and curled into a ball. Tenor watched her, still worried. He wondered if the food was starting to go bad. He sniffed it, and it didn't smell off. He looked back at Windwalker who had fallen asleep. He nuzzled her, then went to sleep beside her.

The next morning everyone slept in after watching the eclipse. Avalon and her friends woke up around lunch time. Avalon finished up making the items for her friends, while they watched. They talked briefly about the eclipse. It had given Avalon an idea for her Death Song amber. She took a piece of it as well as a small glowing crystal from her jewelry making supplies. She used her fire to soften the amber to make it pliable. She sculpted it into a bowel shape. She then placed the white crystal into the amber, then folded the amber back up encasing the crystal in the amber. She then smoothed the amber into a sphere like the moon. For her finishing touch, she attached a tiny golden loop to the amber sphere so it could be attached to a strong chain and worn as a pendant. She let it cool and harden before putting enchantments on it to make it indestructible and impossible to steal.

"There," she said satisfied. "I give you the Lunar Eclipse Amulet." She held up the amber sphere which was the size of a small human fist.

"Cool," said Eider. "What does it do?"

"Come, I'll show you," said Avalon. She clamped the amulet between her teeth and ran over to the arena. The others followed her.

They found the Berkian riders in there feeding and grooming their dragons. They looked up when the dragonets entered. Avalon sat on her haunches and took the amulet out of her mouth.

"Would you guys mind if I close the dome for a few minuets?" She asked. "I want to test something, and it requires the dark."

"No go ahead," said Hiccup. Avalon raised up two talons and twisted them to one side. The dome closed of it's own accord. In a moment they were plunged into darkness. Avalon looked down at the amulet. It started to light up with the same red orange glow as the lunar eclipse. Avalon smiled with satisfaction.

"It works," she said. She pulled out a thick golden chain and threaded it through the loop attached to the amulet, making it a pendant. Naturally everyone was drawn to the glowing sphere.

"What is that thing?" Fishlegs asked.

"A little something that was inspired by last night," said Avalon, holding it up by the chain. "It's a glowing crystal inside Death Song amber. "I call it the Lunar Eclipse Amulet."

"Cool, what does it do?" Tuffnut asked.

"Right now, it just glows red," said Avalon. "I haven't decided on what magical properties I'm going to give it."

"Who gets it?" Snotlout asked, looking at the amulet hungrily. Avalon sighed and made the dome open again, letting in the sunlight. The amulet stopped glowing and she lowered it.

"Who does get it?" Eider asked. "You've made something for all of us, including yourself."

"This belongs to my whole group," said Avalon. "And no one can steal it." She looped the chain around her neck and it rested against her breast bone. "Lets go try out your guy's things." She led her friends out of the arena.

They went back to the cliffs where they had been sitting. Avalon handed out the items she'd made them. She handed Eider a silver ankle band that was decorated with jade stones and emeralds. She then handed Black Widow a black spider pendant that was attached to a silver chain that looked like spider silk. Then she handed Apollo a leather armband that was carved in the shape of flames. When finished she sat down on her haunches.

"Thanks Avalon," said Eider. "These look amazing."

"Let me see them so I can put my enchantment on them," said Apollo. They each passed him their items and Avalon passed him her peacock collar. He held each one in his talons and muttered something too soft for them to hear. Then he passed them back to their owners, and put on his armband. They all put on their respective items, which magically adjusted to fit them. Edelweiss was the only one not wearing any jewelry, since she was already human.

"Well lets see if it works," she said. The dragons all checked to make sure no one was watching. Then they suddenly shifted from dragons, to humans. Edelweiss glanced at each of them.

Avalon had turned into a girl about eighteen years old. She was tall and slender with pale, smooth skin. She had light blond hair with purple highlights, that went passed her neck. Her face was heart shaped and her eyes were the same lavender color they'd been when she was a dragon. She wore a simple satin, knee length, dress that was the same teal green as her scales. Her peacock collar had turned into a peacock necklace, with matching bracelets. The Lunar Eclipse Amulet was now resting in the middle of her chest.

Eider had broad shoulders, thick muscles, and light tan skin. He had a strong looking face with a square lower jaw. His eyes remained the same amber color. He had black hair that was slightly longer than Chris's. He now wore a purple, short sleeved shirt and black trousers. The ankle band was just barely visible under them of his trousers. His black teeth had turned white.

Apollo was leaner than Eider, similar to Hiccup's build. He also looked around eighteen with pale, smooth skin like Avalon. He had sandy blond hair with red highlights. His eyes shimmered gold in the light above his high cheekbones. He wore a blood red tunic with dark brown trousers, and his utility vest. His healing stone was still around his neck. His new armband was hidden under the sleeve of his tunic. He looked about the same hight as Avalon.

Black Widow was more fuller than Avalon, with a curvier body. She looked the same age as Edelweiss. She had smooth, caramel colored skin. She had long black hair that went to the middle of her back. She had an oval face and deep red eyes. She wore a red tunic and a black skirt that went just passed her knees. She still had her spider pendant around her neck. Like Eider, she now had white teeth instead of black. She held up her hands and saw that her fingers were as long and slender as a spider's legs.

All four of them were barefoot. They glanced down at themselves, flexing their arms and legs. Edelweiss looked quite excited.

"You guys look great," she said. "Nice job Apollo."

"I thought dragons didn't wear clothes," Eider said, looking at his purple shirt.

"No," Apollo agreed. "But humans do."

"We should go for a walk," said Avalon. "Break these new looks in."

"Should we tell the others?" Black Widow asked. They all considered.

"Maybe later," said Eider. "When we're used to being like this."

"Lets go then," said Apollo. "I've included basic human knowledge in the enchantments. So you should know how to move around." He turned and headed towards the woods. The others followed. While they walked, Apollo looked at the amulet around Avalon's neck. He brainstormed on what would be a useful enchantment to put on it, that would benefit the whole group.

They found it very different to walk through the woods on two legs, instead of four. They had to climb over logs that they normally would have just stepped over. But after a while, they got used to it. They walked until they reached the lake. They sat in the grass in a circle.

"Wow, that was different," said Eider. "Much slower."

"Sorry," said Apollo, looking sheepish.

"Don't be sorry Apollo," said Eider. "I meant it in a good way."

"Yeah, I'm loving this look," said Avalon. "I can accept this as much as my true form."

"Me too," said Black Widow. "It's fun. What do you think Edelweiss?" Edelweiss glanced around at them all.

"I will admit, it is nice to be on equal ground," she said. She smiled and scooted closer to Black Widow. Avalon looked down at the amulet and took it off.

"Well what are we going to do with this?" She wondered aloud.

"I could enchant it so we can't be chained or caged," said Apollo. "And keep our minds safe from being taken over." Avalon considered.

"All right," she said. She tossed him the amulet. Apollo held it out in the middle of the circle.

"Everyone touch it," he said. They did so, even though it was rather small. Apollo took a deep breath. "I enchant this amulet to keep our souls and minds from being taken over by any foreign influence, especially ones with evil intentions. I also enchant this amulet to keep all who are touching it now, unable to be chained or caged or muzzled." Avalon felt the enchantment warm the amulet slightly. They all released the amulet and Apollo handed it back to Avalon.

"We'll be safe now," Avalon said, putting the amulet back around her neck. Black Widow looked back in the direction of the outpost.

"I wonder how Mother's doing," she said sadly.

"If you want to go check on her you can," said Avalon. Black Widow got to her feet and shifted back into her dragon form. She took off and headed for Tenor's cave.

She found her Mother sleeping alone in the cave. There was a tuna in front of her, with a few bites taken out of it. The rest of the food remained untouched. Black Widow approached her mother and carefully nudged her. Windwalker woke up, and groaned in pain.

"Are you okay Mother," Black Widow asked, worried.

"I was until you woke me up," Windwalker snapped. "Now go away." She snorted and covered her head with her wing. Slightly hurt, Black Widow pushed the tuna towards Windwalker.

"You should finish this," she suggested. "It'll help you feel better."

"Black Widow," Windwalker growled angrily. "If you don't leave me be alone, I'll rip your tongue out." Black Widow flinched and backed up in shock. Reluctantly she turned around and left the cave. She felt shaken by her mother's harsh words. She took off and found her father grazing on dragon brush. She landed next to him, stumbling a bit. Tenor looked up and saw the frightened look on Black Widow's face.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Mother yelled at me," Black Widow said, close to tears. "Threatened to rip my tongue out." Tenor nuzzled her, and put a wing around her.

"She didn't mean it," he assured her. "She's threatened to kill me several times, but she never means it." Black Widow leaned into him and turned her face into his neck.

"What's wrong with her?" She sobbed.

"I don't know," Tenor said. "But I'm sure she can fight it. She'll never hurt you, no matter what she says." Black Widow relaxed the best she could. Tenor nuzzled her.

The days went by, and Windwalker kept feeling pain in her stomach. It made it hard to eat anything, and she started to loose weight. She was also tired all the time and it made her very moody, and not her usual self. Tenor, Black Widow, and Chris all tried to get her to eat, but she refused. She left the cave for only an hour or two, before returning to the cave to sleep. She tried to eat, but the pain in her stomach would become unbearable and she couldn't get anything down. It sometimes hurt so much that she threw up the last bit of food she'd eaten. She knew she'd die if she didn't get help.

She woke up one morning, and felt so weak. Tenor had put a small pile of fish in front of her. She managed to eat only one, before her stomach hurt too bad. She decided to go find Chris and Serenity. She left the cave and took off. However she only had enough strength to fly to the top of the cliff. She landed sloppily and began coughing. She wandered through the outpost, looking for Chris and Serenity.

They were near the woods with Tenor, Edelweiss, and Black Widow. Edelweiss showed the Lunar Eclipse Amulet to them.

"That looks so cool," Tenor said, when Edelweiss told them what it did. "It does look like the lunar eclipse."

"You better not loose it," Chris said.

"Oh, we have tight grip on it," said Black Widow. "Avalon and Apollo plan to use their magic to get it back, should we loose it."

"So Apollo really gave you the option to turn into humans?" Serenity asked.

"He did," said Black Widow. "Though we plan to use it if we have to sneak into a human settlement. It's merely a disguise." At that moment they heard someone approaching them. They turned to see Windwalker limping towards them. She looked terrible; her bones were clearly visible beneath her skin, her wings were dropping, and her black scales looked dull.

"Windwalker, what's wrong!?" Chris exclaimed. They rushed over to her, as she collapsed. She opened her mouth to answer, but suddenly began coughing up blood. Serenity pulled out her stethoscope and listened to the dragon's heart. Windwalker stopped coughing and breathed in huge gulps of air. Serenity lowered the stethoscope.

"Are you in pain anywhere?" She asked.

"My stomach," Windwalker wheezed. Serenity put the stethoscope away and pulled out a small magnifying glass. Aurora had enchanted it so Serenity was able to use it to X ray Windwalker's stomach. Windwalker coughed up more blood.

"There's something in her stomach," Serenity said. "I don't know what it is, but I need to get it out ASAP. Can you walk to the stables?" Windwalker shook her head. Serenity turned to Tenor. "You'll have to carry her then."

"Right," Tenor said. He laid down next to his made and they all helped get Windwalker onto his back. When she was secure, Tenor got to his feet. Serenity put her hand on Windwalker's head.

"Can you breath okay?" She asked.

"Yes," Windwalker gasped.

"Okay, just focus on your breathing," Serenity said. "It'll help you remain calm." Windwalker did as she was told, as they set off for the stables.

They got to the stables, and luckily there was no one in there. Serenity led Tenor into a stall. She took an old sail out of her saddle bags and unfolded it on the floor. Tenor laid down on it. Chris, Serenity, Black Widow, and Edelweiss helped get Windwalker off Tenor's back and laid her down on her side. Windwalker looked like she was in a lot of pain.

"I'll need you guys to step out for a bit," Serenity said.

"Will she be okay?" Black Widow asked, tearing up.

"We'll see," said Serenity.

"Can I stay and help?" Edelweiss asked. Serenity considered.

"All right," she said. "As long as you do everything I say." Edelweiss nodded. "The rest of you, go find the others." They all turned and reluctantly left the stables. Serenity closed the doors behind them. Chris, Tenor, and Black Widow stood on the runway to catch their breath. Black Widow stepped closer to her father. Tenor nuzzled her.

"Let go tell the others," Chris said. "Looks like we have a bit of a wait."

"Oh, I hope Mother's okay," Black Widow sobbed.

"We all do," Tenor said. "I'm sure Serenity knows what to do." Black Widow nodded silently. Chris mounted Tenor and they took off.

They rounded up the other riders and dragons and told them what had happened. They all grew concerned and flocked to the stables. The doors remained closed. Everyone sat on the runway to wait. Black Widow was sobbing the whole time. Her father and her friends sat around her. They sat in silence in an effort to hear what was going on inside. Avalon used her magic to open the doors just a crack. They heard Serenity talking to Edelweiss.

"I wonder what she ate to make her so sick," Edelweiss said.

"We're about to find out," Serenity said. "Hold that open." There was a pause.

"I hope she pulls through this," Edelweiss said. "Her body seems so weak."

"She'll be fine," said Serenity. "I don't think she would have lasted another day though." There was another pause. "Wait, is that what I think it is?" There was another pause.

"Is that what's been making her stomach hurt?" Edelweiss asked.

"Yup," said Serenity. "Her body wore itself out trying to digest it. Dragons don't do well with metal. I don't know how long that's been in there." There was another pause. "Okay lets close her up. She'll wake up in about an hour."

"She'll be okay now," said Edelweiss.

"That's up to her," said Serenity. "She has a good chance though. She should be able to eat pain free now."

"Why didn't she tell us something was wrong sooner?" Edelweiss asked.

"I think even the bravest dragons get nervous about being cut open," said Serenity. "That's the only reason I can think of." There was yet another pause. "You think you can finish up the last of this while I wash this off?"

"Sure," said Edelweiss.

"Take your time, there's no hurry," said Serenity. There was another pause. There was a faint sound of water. Neither of them spoke for a few minuets.

"How's that?" Edelweiss asked.

"Perfect," said Serenity. "Go was the dragon guts off your hands."

"Ewww," Avalon whispered. A moment later the doors opened and Serenity came out. Everyone got to their feet.

"What did she eat?" Astrid asked.

"This," Serenity said, holding up the item. They all recognized it at once.

"A Dragon Eye lens," said Hiccup.

"But it's gold," said Fishlegs. "I though we found all the Dragon Eye lenses."

"Draco made that one himself," said Aurora. "I threw it into the ocean so the dragon hunters wouldn't get their hands on it."

"And it somehow ended up in Windwalker's stomach," Serenity said. She looked at her husband. "Chris do you know how she got this?" Chris sighed.

"Yes I remember when she swallowed that," he said. "It was a year or two before you guys arrived at our mountain. I told Windwalker I'd dropped a very important map up here and talked her into coming to look for it. We stopped to rest in an old ship graveyard and found that lens on one of the shipwrecks. We didn't know what it was of course. I wanted to keep it to find out what it was, but she wanted me to get rid of it. We fought over it and she knocked it out of my hand. It flew high into the air, we both scrambled to catch it, Windwalker caught it in her mouth, and accidentally swallowed it. I completely forgot about it until now."

"We have to find out whats on it," said Fishlegs excitedly.

"But we don't have the Dragon Eyes anymore," Astrid pointed out.

"They're back at our castle," said Re. "We can always fly back and get one of them."

"Will you?" Fishlegs asked.

"Sure," said Aurora. "When Windwalker's fully recovered." She gave Fishlegs a stern look.

"Oh please," Fishlegs begged. "There could be so many secrets about dragons on that lens, secrets that could help us understand your kind." Aurora sighed.

"The only thing you need to understand Fishlegs," she said firmly. "Is that our friend was just operated on. We're more worried about her then we are about what's on the lens. When she's better then we'll go get the Dragon Eye."

"That sounds fair to me Fishlegs," said Hiccup. "You'd feel the same if it was Meatlug in there recovering." Fishlegs sighed but didn't argue. Chris looked at Serenity.

"Can I see her?" He asked. Serenity smiled and stepped aside. Chris went into the stables with the two other dragons following. Serenity put the gold lens in her pocket.

Chris found his dragon asleep in her stall. Her abdomen was wrapped in bandages. Edelweiss was sitting next to Windwalker's head, stroking her neck. She looked up when Chris entered.

"Hi Daddy," she said softly.

"Hey Edel," Chris said, sitting next to her. He stroked Windwalker's snout. The other Draconians entered the stables and laid down in the other stalls. The Berkians and their dragons headed back to their huts. Serenity came into the stall, fidgeting the the gold lens. She sat on Chris's other side. Chris looked at the lens.

"So you don't know what's on that?" He asked.

"We've never looked at it," said Serenity. "We were too busy keeping it away from the hunters."

"I see," Chris said, turning his attention back to Windwalker.

They sat in the stables waiting for Windwalker to wake up. During that time Avalon and her friends told them about Apollo's enchantment and showed them their human forms. The adults were quite impressed. They agreed it was a perfect disguise. When they turned back into dragons Windwalker stirred. She seemed groggy at first. Chris stroked her neck.

"Hey how are you feeling?" He asked.

"So sleepy," Windwalker mumbled. "And a bit hungry."

"Yeah I bet you are," Serenity said.

"I'll go bring up some of the food in my cave," Tenor said. He got up and flew out of the cave. Windwalker stretched her limbs being careful to not roll onto her front.

"Where's Black Widow?" She asked.

"Over here," Black Widow said from the neighboring stall. Windwalker looked at her. She looked a bit scared.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you the other day," Windwalker said.

"It's okay Mother," said Black Widow. "I'm over it now."

Tenor came back with several fish. He landed inside the stables and set the fish down in the stall. Serenity grabbed one and set in front of Windwalker. At first Windwalker just looked at it, hesitating. But she slowly ate it and was relieved when her stomach didn't hurt. Serenity gave her more fish and she at them. Windwalker was already starting to feel better.

"Thank you Serenity," she said. Serenity patted her neck. "What exactly was causing all that?" Serenity pulled out the gold lens.

"We found this in your stomach," she said. "Your body wore itself trying to get rid of it, that's why you were so tired all the time and the reason it was hurting so bad." Windwalker sighed.

"I forgot about that thing," she said. "It's a Dragon Eye lens isn't it?"

"Yes," said Serenity. "We'll go get the Dragon Eye and look at it when you're better." Windwalker looked a bit surprised.

"You don't have to wait for me," she said.

"No, but we plan to anyway," Chris said, stroking her snout. "You're our main concern right now." Windwalker purred, touched by this. Tenor entered the stall and laid down beside Windwalker.

"You get better, then we'll look at the lens," he said. "Then we can all go home." Windwalker smiled.

"It'll be nice to be home," she said. She wormed closer to Tenor. "When can I fly again?"

"Give it a week," said Serenity. "We didn't have to make the incision very big. So it'll heal up in no time."

"Faster with my healing stone," said Apollo, clutching the stone in his talons.

"That will only work on the surface incision," said Edelweiss. "There's one on her stomach too." She got up and went into the stall with Black Widow. Serenity gave Windwalker the rest of the fish. Black Widow and Edelweiss exchanged a glance, looking very uncomfortable.

"Something wrong?" Aurora asked.

"There's something we've been meaning to tell you," Black Widow said. "But we're a bit nervous about it. It's not something dragons do." The adults looked curious.

"Tell us anyway," said Re. "We won't get mad." Black Widow looked over at Avalon.

"It's okay," said Avalon. "Nothing bad will happen." Black Widow exchanged another glance with Edelweiss. Then she scrunched up her face.

"Edelweiss and I have fallen in love with each other," she blurted out. "And we want to spend the rest of our lives as mates." There was a long silence. Both Edelweiss and Black Widow became very tense.

"Relax guys," Re said. "It's your choice."

"You're almost adults," Serenity added.

"It is true dragons don't do that," said Aurora. "But I know that humans sometimes do. I foresee no evil in this."

"I've given them some conditions," said Avalon. "Tell you was one of them. The others were that they had to wait a year and no one outside these stables can know."

"When we're around the other riders and dragons we'll only act as best friends," said Edelweiss. "We can do that easily."

"Those are good conditions," said Aurora. "And they sound easy to keep."

"They are," said Black Widow.

"We're glad you get that off your chest," Chris said. "I guess it shouldn't surprise us that much."

"You've been close since you were newborns," said Windwalker, stretching her limbs again. Both Black Widow and Edelweiss finally relaxed.

"I'm glad we could get it off our chest too," Edelweiss said. She leaned back against Black Widow's side. Black Widow laid her head on her front paws.

They all stayed in the stables with Windwalker. They took turns going out for food. They brought back fish for Windwalker. She ate them without a word. She felt her strength slowly returning. When night fell the dragons made themselves comfortable in the stalls. Tenor hung from the beams in Windwalker's stall, so she'd have more room to stretch. They all fell asleep, except for Chris and Edelweiss. They stayed awake to make sure Windwalker was sleeping without pain. Edelweiss checked on the incision, making sure the stitches were holding. After she rewrapped it, she sat next to Windwalker's head. Chris watched her.

"You think you'll be able to handle an emergency by yourself?" He asked. Edelweiss considered, absentmindedly stroking Windwalker's ears.

"Maybe," she said. "I know all about dragon anatomy, and what remedies cure what."

"I think you'll do fine," Chris said. "Who knows, you might discover a new healing method that Serenity never thought of." Edelweiss smiled.

"I hope to be as good as she is," she said. Chris sighed sadly and stroked Windwalker's snout.

"I wasn't there when she became a fully qualified dragon healer," he said. "I'd already been lost at sea." Edelweiss looked back down at the sleeping dragon.

"You did find Windwalker though," she pointed out. Chris smiled again.

"I did, and I'm pretty happy about that," he said. "She became one of my best friends." Edelweiss looked at him curiously.

"What did you guys do while living in that mountain?" She asked. "Besides fight a war?" Chris thought a moment.

"At first Windwalker had to keep coming to my rescue when her friends attacked me," he said. "They had a hard time trusting me."

"Most wild dragons don't trust humans," said Edelweiss. "There are dragons out there that even Hiccup can't tame."

"Yes," Chris agreed.

"Did you ever see her as your alpha?" Edelweiss asked. Chris considered.

"At first I did," he said. "She only saw me as a foot soldier, and not really as a friend. She didn't want to get too close to anyone, especially a human."

"Was she mean?" Edelweiss asked.

"If by mean you mean cruel no," Chris said. "But she was very strict and hard."

"Even on you?" Edelweiss asked, surprised.

"Well, you have to understand that Windwalker was never bouncy and playful like Toothless is," Chris said. "She dedicated her whole life to keeping her nest safe, and didn't make anytime for games." Edelweiss now looked sad.

"Strict leaders always scare me," she said. "Like why follow someone who just glares at you all the time and shows no humanity, or whatever the dragon equivalent of that is." Windwalker's ear twitched and her eye opened a tiny bit.

"Well, just because she was strict doesn't mean she didn't care," Chris said. "She was one of the only dragons who would talk to me, and she let me follow her around the nest. I was just a kid who'd lost his family and didn't have any friends. She did warm up to me after awhile. When she saw how sad and depressed I was getting being so far from home. Soon I was able to see her as my friend, as well as my alpha. However I always recognized and respected her authority." Windwalker smiled without opening her eyes. Edelweiss looked at her.

"So weren't like Hiccup and Toothless," she said, sounding disappointed. "Not wrestling in the grass or swimming in the water."

"No," Chris said. "Hiccup met Toothless before he was alpha, and had time for playing." Edelweiss still looked disappointed. She stroked Windwalker's neck again. Windwalker must have sensed her disappointment because she opened her eyes all the way. She sat up and nuzzled Edelweiss.

"I know I'm not as fun Toothless," she said. "But I didn't glare all the time and I tried to not be so hard that anyone would fear me." Edelweiss relaxed and hugged the dragon's head.

"I meant no disrespect to you," she said.

"So strict leaders really scare you?" Windwalker asked. Edelweiss nodded. "I mean I understand you wouldn't want to follow a leader who glares all the time, and you wanting a leader who is fun like Toothless. But a leader who's strict the right way can still be a good leader."

"Yeah, you wouldn't have had a problem with her back then," Chris said. "She was never scary, especially not towards the younger dragons."

"You don't fear me now do you?" Windwalker asked.

"No," said Edelweiss said. "But you're not fighting a war anymore."

"True," Windwalker said. She laid her head down in Edelweiss's lap. "But even while fighting the war, I wouldn't have expected you to fear me. Unless you stabbed me in the back, then I'd be scary." Edelweiss took a deep breath. Then she yawned.

"You should go to sleep," Chris said. "I'll stay up for a while." Edelweiss looked at him.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Yes, you look like you're about to pass out," Chris said. Windwalker used her wing to pull Edelweiss closer to her. The girl fell asleep as soon as her cheek rested on Windwalker's warm scales.

The next day Edelweiss slept in. Serenity checked on Windwalker's incision. It was healing nicely, though Windwalker said it felt sore. Tenor woke up and headed out to get food. The others woke up and got up to stretch.

"I wonder if I might stretch my legs," Windwalker said. Serenity thought a moment.

"All right," she said. "Just be careful." She carefully lifted Edelweiss off Windwalker's neck, and Windwalker heaved herself onto her feet. She felt very stiff, but not too stiff. She stretched her limbs. She walked out of the stall and the stables. She walked to the end of the runway and stretched her wings, which felt very stiff. She folded them back up as Tenor returned with a huge boar in his talons. He smiled when he saw Windwalker up.

"You're looking better," he said.

"Much better," Windwalker said. "Not enough to fly home though." She stepped closer to him.

"Well, one thing at a time," Tenor said, nuzzling her. She nuzzled him back, then picked up the boar and went back into the stables.

"Thank you," she said. Tenor nodded and followed her.

They went back into the stall. Windwalker remained standing while she at the boar. Edelweiss was the only one left still sleeping. The dragonets had gone out flying, except for Black Widow. Fishlegs came barging in with Meatlug at his heals.

"Oh good Windwalker's on her feet again," he exclaimed. "Can we look at the gold lens now?" The Draconians all exchanged a glance.

"What do you think Windwalker," Tenor said. Windwalker considered.

"Hmm, I think Fishlegs can wait another day," she said, and Tenor translated. Fishlegs's face fell.

"Please," he begged. "I'm dying to see what's on that lens."

"Tomorrow we'll go get the Dragon Eye," said Aurora. "That sound good to you Windwalker?" Windwalker nodded, her mouth full of meat. Fishlegs sighed.

"All right fine," he said. He turned around and stalked off. Meatlug stayed.

"How are you feeling Windwalker?" She asked.

"Much better," Windwalker said. "It's nice to be able to eat pain free." She went back to her boar. Meatlug turned to Re and Aurora.

"I'm real sorry about Fishlegs your majesties," she said. "Sometimes he gets so blinded by excitement, that he forgets his manners."

"It's all right Meatlug," said Re. "We kind of expected this."

"If you want me to fetch the Dragon Eye for you I will," Meatlug volunteered.

"Thank you Meatlug, but I'll be getting it," said Aurora. "I can travel faster with magic." Just then Meatlug heard Fishelgs calling her.

"I'd better go," Meatlug said. "I hope you get back to normal soon Windwalker."

"Thank you," Windwalker said politely. Meatlug turned and flew out of the stables. Windwalker finished the boar and laid back down. She turned to Edelweiss and nudged her, she didn't move. Windwalker then licked her face, and that woke her up.

"Hi," she said sleepily.

"Morning," Windwalker said. "You've been asleep a long time." Edelweiss sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Sorry," she said.

"The others are waiting for us outside," Black Widow said.

"You didn't have to wait for me," Edelweiss said. Black Widow just gestured to her saddle. Edelweiss got up, went over, and mounted her. They ran outside and took off.

The rest of the day went by without anything major happening. Avalon and her friends hung out with the Berkians. They went flying around the island to pass the time. Soon the sun started to go down and they headed back towards the outpost. They talked about what was on the gold lens.

"Well we'll find out tomorrow," said Black Widow. "It's probably got something really special on it."

"Obviously," said Snotlout. They landed in the arena. The riders dismounted.

"So you guys looking forward to going home?" Astrid asked the dragonets.

"Yes," said Avalon. "What do you guys plan to do when you get back, besides update the village?"

"Well, there's plenty of dragons out there that are in captivity," said Hiccup. "I plan to find them, free them, and bring them back to Berk."

"You sure you have the room for them?" Edelweiss asked. "Berk's really small."

"We can make it work," said Hiccup confidently.

"Can we help?" Apollo asked.

"Um, eventually yes," Hiccup said. "I assume you'd want to go home first." The dragonets nodded in agreement.

"Well we should go see how Mother's doing," said Black Widow.

Toothless walked them back towards the stables. The other riders headed for their huts with their dragons.

"You guys nervous about coming up here without your parents?" Toothless asked. The dragonets exchanged a glance.

"A bit," said Avalon. "But we'll be okay."

"I look forward to it," Toothless said. "You guys aren't kids anymore." They all smiled.

"Edelweiss is still kind of a kid," Eider said. Toothless looked at Edelweiss and nuzzled her cheek. She smiled and scratched behind his ears.

"She's almost the same age Hiccup was when he shot me down," Toothless said. "The same size too."

"Is that why you've been keeping a closer eye on her recently?" Eider asked.

"Yeah, it's bringing back some wonderful memories," Toothless said. He then nibbled her abdomen and she laughed when it tickled. She hugged his head.

"You are so adorable," she said, happily. They arrived at the stables as the sun was sinking towards the ocean.

"Thanks for walking us down here," said Avalon.

"You're welcome," Toothless said. Edelweiss hugged him and kissed his muzzle. Then she followed her friends into the stables. Toothless turned and ran up to Hiccup's hut.

The next day Aurora left early for Draconia. She promised to be back by the evening. The riders and dragons passed the time by packing up their things to head back to Berk. Windwalker walked around more. She was looking forward to getting home, just like everyone else was. The dragonets spent time with the Berkians again, and helped them pack up their things.

"So have you decided what you're going to do with this outpost?" Apollo asked Hiccup. Hiccup looked around at Dragon's Edge.

"No I haven't," he said. "I'll probably let it go."

"You guys had a lot of great times here," said Black Widow.

"And now you guys have too," said Astrid. "What was your favorite part about this visit?" The dragonets considered.

"I loved training with you guys," said Avalon. "Even though we were nervous and I got struck my lightening."

"I loved dragon sledding," said Edelweiss. "I'm defiantly bringing that back home."

"The lunar eclipse was my favorite," Black Widow said. "I hope we get to see the solar eclipse someday. Daddy will go insane." She chuckled.

"I loved our visit to Berserker Island," said Apollo. "And rescuing Edelweiss and Toothless from the dragon hunters." Edelweiss blushed.

"I can't decide on my favorite part," said Eider. "It was all fun."

"When is your mother coming back?" Fishlegs asked Avalon.

"She's heading back now," said Avalon. "You're not very patient are you?"

"I'm just so excited," said Fishlegs. "We haven't looked a new lens in ages. You Draconians took all of it."

"To keep it safe in our castle," said Apollo. "So bad guys can't use it against us."

Aurora returned with the Dragon Eye late that afternoon. She landed at the clubhouse and set the Dragon Eye on the table. The riders and dragons joined her one by one. Fishlegs was practically dancing on the spot. Serenity came last, with the gold lens in her pocket. When everyone was gathered Serenity handed the lens to Aurora, who slid it into the Dragon Eye.

"Avalon, Apollo, do either of you want to light this up?" She asked. They two young dragons exchanged a glance.

"Why them?" Fishlegs asked.

"This lens only works with Draco's bloodline," Re said. Apollo looked at his sister.

"Can I do it?" He asked her.

"Sure," said Avalon, smiling. Apollo went up to the Dragon Eye and filled his mouth with his red flames. The Dragon Eye lit up and projected the image of a map onto the wall. They all looked at it.

"Wait that's home," Apollo said. "I've seen maps just like this in our library."

"It has everything on it, even our newest volcanoes," said Avalon, pointing to the small images of mountains with smoke rising out of them.

"That must be where your castle is," said Fishlegs, pointing to a star in the middle of the northern coast.

"Yes," said Re. "I wonder what else is on this lens." Avalon stood next to Apollo and turned the dials on the Dragon Eye. The projection changed to another map that showed the whole Barbaric Archipelago, and a smaller map of Draconia to the southwest of it.

"Wow, no wonder Draco didn't want this lens to fall in the wrong hands," Hiccup said. "This shows where Draconia is."

"What's this thing?" Astrid asked. She pointed to what looked like a circler waterfall in the middle of the ocean. It sat off Draconia's northwestern coast. There was not writing around it, or any indication of what it was.

"I don't know," said Aurora. "Must be a landmark." Avalon turned the dials again.

The rest of the lens had information on the different cities and landmarks on Draconia. It showed informations on the golden apple trees and the glowing crystal mines. It showed the islands around Draconia. Avalon turned the dials until she came back to the map of Draconia. The Dragon Eye turned off and Avalon pulled to lens out of it.

"Wow," said Fishlegs. "That was incredible."

"Yeah, but it does make me miss home though," said Edelweiss, slumping against Black Widow.

"Me too," said Eider. Fishlegs looked at Aurora.

"Can I copy some of that stuff?" He asked. Aurora narrowed her eyes as Avalon handed her the lens.

"Hmmm," she said. "If this information falls into the wrong hands, Draconia could fall. Which is why Father has kept it hidden all this time. Can you swear to guard this information with your life?" Fishlegs took a deep breath.

"You have our word Aurora," said Hiccup. "We kept the secret of Vanahiem safe, we can keep the secret of Draconia safe too." Aurora silently handed the lens to Hiccup. "Thanks, we'll give it and the Dragon Eye back to you when we're done." He took the lens and held it tight in his fist.

They left the clubhouse except for Hiccup, Fishlegs, their dragons, Avalon, and Apollo. Windwalker went back to the stables and laid down. Chris sat next to her. Windwalker watched Edelweiss give Black Widow a brush.

"So tell me Edel," she said. "Do you think all strict leaders are mean?"

"Um, yes," Edelweiss said shyly. "If you smile at them, they don't smile back at you. And they yell too."

"There is a difference between being strict and being mean," Chris said. "If the leader yells at you all the time just because they can, that's being mean. But if they were yelling at you because you were doing something wrong, that's being strict."

"Is it possible for a leader to be both strict and kind?" Edelweiss asked.

"Absolutely," said Windwalker. "Re's like that. But it's also possible to be strict without being mean."

"Yeah, Windwalker was never mean to me," Chris said. Edelweiss sighed. She stroked Black Widow's neck.

"Toothless gets pretty strict at times," Black Widow pointed out. "Re and Aurora do too."

"I suppose," Edelweiss said. She finished brushing her dragon. The two of them sat next to Windwalker. "I wonder, what would have happened if Black Widow had hatched during that war."

"I probably would not have had time to take care of her," Windwalker said. "I probably would have left her egg with another dragon." Black Widow pinned her ears back sadly.

"Like Firefly did," said Chris softly.

"Yes," said Windwalker. Black Widow looked strait ahead, picturing what her life would be like if she'd been left behind as an egg. She never would have met her friends and probably would have been alone like her father had.

"I'm so glad that didn't happen," Edelweiss said, hugging Black Widow's head.

"Me too," said Windwalker, nuzzling Black Widow. "Firefly said it was the hardest thing she ever had to do. Leaving her egg behind, not knowing what was going to happen to it." Just then Tenor came into the stables with a large tuna.

"Hi Daddy," Black Widow said. Tenor smiled and set the tuna down.

"Hello," he said. "You all talking about my poor mother."

"Only about how badly we all feel for her, when she had to leave you behind," Chris said.

"We were talking about what would be different if I'd hatched during that war with the Song," Black Widow said. Tenor laid down.

"Yes," he said. "That would be a hard time for a dragonet." He handed the tuna to Windwalker, who ate it.

"Would you really have given my egg to another dragon?" Black Widow asked.

"If I had to," Tenor said. "But luckily I don't." Black Widow leaned her face into his neck.

Windwalker finished her tuna. Serenity came in to check on her incision. It was almost fully healed. Avalon landed outside, she had finished helping Hiccup and Fishlegs. Edelweiss and Black Widow ran out to join her, and they all flew off. They found their other friends at the lake. They were all excited about going home.

"You think your mother will be able to fly tomorrow?" Apollo asked Black Widow.

"Maybe," said Black Widow. "But if not, it gives us more time to hang out with those riders and their dragons."

"Yeah, I'm not scared of them anymore," said Avalon. "And we get to help them next time we come up here." She sat down next to Apollo.

"I'm excited to work with Toothless as equals," said Eider. "It'll give us the chance to repay him for sticking his neck out for us."

"Yes," Avalon agreed. "It'll be fun to work with Hiccup too. Since he and his riders don't see us as little kids anymore." They all nodded in agreement.

"I am still a kid in human years," Edelweiss said.

"But in dragon years, you're almost an adult," said Apollo. Edelweiss leaned on Black Widow's side.

The days went by. Windwalker was returning to normal. She took small flights around the outpost to stretch her wings. Tenor and Black Widow often joined her, and they went hunting and fishing again. The dragonets spent the time with either the riders and their dragons, or just by themselves.

Soon Windwalker was fully recovered, and it was finally time to head home. The riders saddled up their dragons, and made sure they had everything they needed. Apollo had been trusted to carry the Dragon Eye and the gold lens, since he had space for them in his vest. They all gathered in the arena.

"We all ready?" Hiccup asked.

"Very ready," said Apollo. "Thanks for bringing us up here."

"Yeah it helped us a lot," said Eider. "And it is nice to be away from crowded Berk."

"You're welcome," Hiccup said. "I'm glad you enjoyed it." The riders mounted their dragons, Edelweiss mounted Apollo.

"Why don't our youngest group lead us out of here," Valka suggested. "If they want to." They all looked at the dragonets. Avalon looked at her friends.

"Sure," she said. "I'm sure Draconia has cooled down by now." They all looked around the outpost, then took off. They flew out over the ocean, then turned around to face the outpost. Hiccup nodded at Aurora. She swooped over the Edge, and breathed her blue fire at it. In a moment the outpost vanished completely. Aurora rejoined the others and they headed back in the direction of Berk.

"Good by Dragon's Edge," said Avalon. They picked up the pace, and soon lost sight of the island.

Over another part of the ocean, later in the evening, Lord Draco circled over a vast circler waterfall that was big enough to swallow Berk's whole village. Tall rocks lined were scattered around the rim. Draco landed on one of the rocks and looked out over the waterfall, which was actually a caldera. He sat back to wait. A moment later he spotted the dragon he was waiting for flying out towards him. She was as white as a dove, her tiny scales sparkled in the faint moonlight. Her eyes were as blue as the sky. She flew up and landed next to Draco.

"Hello my lord," she said.

"Hello Moon," Draco said warmly. "Glad to see things are going well for my old nest." He glanced down into the caldera.

"You intend to have more dragons come here?" Moon asked. "Lots more." Draco nodded.

"Yes," he said. "It's one of the oldest and safest of the dragon kingdoms. But they will need a guiding star to lead them here." Moon looked at him.

"But why me?" She asked.

"Because I know that their alpha will follow you," Draco said. "And the rest of the dragons will follow him."

"Who's their alpha?" Moon asked. Draco grinned mysteriously.

"You'll see," he said.

"Will the Draconian dragons come here too?" Moon asked.

"No," said Draco. "They're safe where they are." Moon sighed.

"All right my lord, you can count on me," she said.

"Thank you," Draco said. "I'll be watching over you the whole time, especially when it seems like I've abandoned you. I know I'm asking a lot of you, but I think you'll like your reward."

"Yes my lord," Moon said. Then she yawned.

"Get some rest," Draco said. "You'll need it." Moon bid him good night, then flew back into the caldera. Draco watched her go until she was out of sight. Then he spread his wings and took off. He circled the caldera one more time, then headed back up to Rastaban.


End file.
